Gratitude is The Right Attitude

My goodness, I had to remind myself to get a grip and remember that Gratitude is The Right Attitude! PHEW! So preoccupied on the results I wanted to see, that I’d forgotten to take note and be Grateful for the seemingly small things that had already occurred in my favor. 

We can really get lost in the desire for results or in the waiting for results to manifest. And in doing so, we miss the ‘small’ events, not realizing that those are the very stepping stones to the main event!

The definition of Gratitude is “the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.” Harvard Health Publishing tells us that giving thanks actually helps us to feel happier: “In positive psychology research, gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships.”

I must say that when I keep Gratitude in the front of my mind that it does wonders for my mood! But when we allow our mental chatter to just gab on without checking in, we may find ourselves saying…

I’m The Star of a Movie Called “Hamster On A Wheel” 

Wearing the hats of screenwriter, star, director, and producer! Being locked in this cycle can make it challenging to see the true positives in our lives. Outside of milestones like getting that degree, falling in love, starting a family, winning a hard-earned promotion, and other major events that we use to measure our happiness levels, we generally rush past the little stuff that happens all the time. Add to that, the constant deluge of negativity that gushes out from our screens, contributing to the mental vise that squeezes one into a stress-machine, bereft of Joy.

When we stay in that cycle, we are soooooooo stressed and ANXIOUS. And grouchy. And frustrated. Not to mention swimming in the undercurrent of jusssst not quite happy.  And since most people around us are unhappy, we feel that happiness is not a thing of reality and therefore unobtainable. 

Oh Man, How Do I Change The Name of My Movie?

A great way to change the narrative is in cultivating a Mindfulness Practice in which Gratitude is an integral piece of the foundation. A Mindfulness Practice really puts us in The Present Moment, with the knowledge that we are co-creators in our existence. This enables us to make more conscious decisions and choices. The practice of Gratitude can serve to lighten our mental load and when that happens, it changes the mind/body/soul connection in a HUGE way.

Why? Because you can’t be Grateful and negative at the same time. You can’t be Grateful and unhappy at the same time. You can’t be Grateful and pissed off at the same time. Ya just can’t do it. They reside on two totally different Frequencies. Thoughts and feelings of unhappiness, anger, frustration, worry and fear are low low low vibrating energies. Gratitude resides in the Love Realm, vibrating soooooo Light and HIGH.

Wanna change your mood, Perspective and outlook? Being Grateful more often will shift your mood, perspective and energy in a HEARTBEAT, as thoughts and feelings move the Emotional Geiger Counter more toward center.

Know or come into contact with someone who is always happy? So happy to the point you secretly want to slug them? If so, why does their Joy aggravate you? If you don’t know anyone who’s generally happy, you can be the first person you know!

And if you do know someone who effuses exuberance consistently, really listen to what they have to say, for you may discover that they tend to look to the brighter side of things, and are really Appreciative of what comes their way, big or small.

Our thoughts trigger hormones that can either support or hinder our well-being, so entertaining regular thoughts of Gratitude is like giving yourself loving hugs. The endorphins that Grateful Thoughts send us are like “feel good” boosts.