The journey of life is made up of a million different moments. From birth to death, each of us moves through the motions, striving to achieve and live the best life that we possibly can. But an interesting fact to ponder upon is how many of us are truly living?
We live in a societal construct that teaches us that happiness is equivalent to wealth and fortune, but can all of us truly say that we are blissfully happy?
This is where the attitude of gratitude comes into play.
American country singer Willie Nelson once said, “When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around.” This simple line holds more truth than most gyaan sprouted by ‘wise men’.
For most of us, gratitude usually surfaces when we receive something or when our prayers are answered. While that is completely normal, we often tend to overlook the things and people surrounding us on a daily basis.
When was the last time you took a minute to just stop and breathe in the fresh air and marvel at the world around you? Be it waking up to a new day, the pure air we breathe, the clean water we drink, or just the running water in our taps. There is a lot to be grateful for and we are surrounded by it every day, one just has to take a little time to notice it.
Dalai Lama once said, “The roots of all goodness lie in the soil of appreciation for goodness.” In other words, no matter how bad our day is, if you look hard enough, there will always be something to be grateful for.
The garam chai that is brought to us, the loving hand that wakes us, the person who cooks our meals, the house help that cleans our homes, the men who collect our garbage, the public servants who clean our sewers and roads; we take all these little things for granted because we assume that it simply has to be done. These are the little things we should always be grateful for.
The word gratitude is derived from the Latin word gratus which means ‘thankful’, which is probably why being grateful and thankful go hand in hand.
Cultivating the attitude of gratitude into your life can change it for the better. Over decades, several psychologists have conducted research and found the positive effects of gratitude on one’s mental wellbeing. Showcasing gratitude and thanks automatically releases feel-good chemicals like dopamine and serotonin and oxytocin which brings about the feeling of happiness and positivity.
Studies have shown that your mindset can shape your life. All of us humans have the ability to manifest good things or bad things into our lives. If you think negative thoughts, you will attract negativity into your life. But if you are grateful for what you have and if you focus on the positives, you are bound to have more positivity come your way.
There are numerous different way that you can show gratitude. An unexpected hug, a genuine and thoughtful compliment, maintaining eye contact, treating someone with respect and kindness, being a supporting friend or family member, offering someone a smile, are a few examples.
I personally feel that the best way to demonstrate your gratitude is to pay it forward. What better way than to say thank you to the Universe than through a selfless random act of kindness. Remember, even something as simple as the phrase thank you can make such a difference to the people who make our lives thousand times easier. Acts of gratitude don’t take much effort and are easy to imbibe. Try it out for yourself and see how a tiny shift in perspective and outlook can alter the course of your entire life.
Written By Jessica Albuquerque.
A master of being a Jack of all Trades, A method in madness some may say. I’m just a girl on a never-ending journey, Standing on the precipice of my next big story.
Week 13, April 2021
