The Power Of Gratitude

​What if there was something that was both simple and that could radically transform you, your life, your relationships, and your health?

Would that be something you’d be interested in? I thought so.

​If you learn to appreciate more of what you already have,
​you’ll find yourself having more to appreciate.

Believe it or not, this something that I'm talking about is "gratitude," and yes, it is that powerful. Research has shown that practicing gratitude can:

• Elevate your mood
• Reduce feelings of depression
• Help you feel more connected
• Help you become a better, more likable, more trustworthy person
• Reduce anxiety
• Boost energy levels
• Improve your sleep
• Helps you develop stronger bonds and relationships

​Simply put, giving thanks can make you happier, and by helping you get outside of yourself, stop being self-centered, and become other-focused, gratitude can help you get away from ruts, setbacks, and self-pity. It may also make you more successful.

According to legendary pastor and leadership and management expert John C. Maxwell, gratitude, by its very nature, automatically works to eliminate three mental characteristics that most undermine individual success in an interactive world:

• Isolation
• Egotism
• Arrogance​

Maxwell also talks about how gratitude can enrich your life:

• Grateful people linger over life’s blessings
• Grateful people live in the moment
• Grateful people leave fear behind
• Grateful people live on purpose
• Grateful people love those beside them

So, how do you put gratitude into practice? 

Great question. In a New York Times article, Arthur C. Brooks, author of Gross National Happiness, suggests practicing three gratitude strategies to tap into its powerful benefits:

Interior Gratitude
​
Keep a daily or weekly list of the things you are grateful for. For example, each day you might write down 1 - 3 people or things you are grateful for.

Exterior Gratitude
​
Write thank-you notes and share your gratitude with others. These can be hand-written notes, phone calls, emails, or text messages.

Be Grateful For Useless Things
​
Mindfully express thanks for the everyday stuff that we too often take for granted, like running water, air conditioning, washing machines, etc.

So, what's on your Gratitude list? Today's 3 points to remember!
​

• Pray! Always! Thank God for another day. Every new day is a blessing. Start your day with daily positive affirmations that send forth the vibration of what you want to create. The simple practice that will set you up for success and infuse you with as much energy as a cup of coffee or tea!
• Throughout your day, as you are buffeted by challenges, demands, crises, and chaos, call a mental time out. Spend a minute or reciting positive affirmations to center yourself and enter the next phase of your day in a state of clarity.​
• End your day with positive affirmations before heading off to bed. Pray. Talk to God in prayer. It's a great way to end your evening on a high note of positivity, gratitude, and optimism.

Oprah Winfrey, a leader in the consciousness of gratitude, may have said best,​

Be thankful for what you have;
you’ll end up having more.
If you concentrate on what you don’t have,
​you will never, ever have enough.

Be grateful always. There is always, always, always something to be thankful for.

Enjoy your journey! God bless!

​To a better you!