“No duty is more urgent than that of returning thanks.” – James Allen
Of all the words in every language besides ‘I love you’ and ‘I’m sorry’, ‘thank you’ has immense transformative power. Think of a time when you did something special for a loved one or a friend only for it not to be acknowledged. You may have felt disheartened or you may not have felt bothered at all.Yet, when your efforts were appreciated, your energy levels
lifted and you wanted more of that feeling.
Growing up, I understood how people act, communicate and treat others as not being automatic. I realised that we have choice. We can choose how we want to feel in any given moment. We can choose how we see others. For example, I have the choice to be grateful to the person who has opened a door to let me pass or taken my order at a restaurant. Of course, I could choose not to acknowledge their efforts and ignore them completely. Do I want to feel like I am taking another person’s kind actions for granted? Would I rather thank them instead? Just by appreciating the smallest efforts, we can cultivate an attitude of gratitude.
There’s no denying that life has it’s ups and downs. Many of us have busy lives, trying to balance this, that and the other. When things are going well, it’s easy to take moments for granted. When it seems as if life is not flowing so smoothly, you may believe there is nothing to be grateful for. However, with hindsight you see that there were things to be thankful for. Living in gratitude, therefore, is by far one the best ways to ‘be present’. By slowing down enough to be grateful, you focus directly on the present moment.As you won’t have that moment again, worrying about the past or stressing about the future becomes less of a preoccupation. Instead what you gain is a sense that you are flowing gratefully through life, not letting it pass you by.
Spiritually, gratitude is the highest form of positive vibration. The more you notice around you to be grateful for, the more your feelings vibrate at a higher frequency. The higher frequency brings you more abundance and prosperity. Like attracts like. Cultivating an attitude of gratitude starts with one single thought; the choice to see more to be grateful for. Your feelings spin in appreciation and you want to have more of the positive vibes! The Universe always delivers according to your feelings of who you are not what you want.
Gratitude also has a number of other benefits:
-You feel you are living your life with a purpose to learn about yourself to evolve.
-You rarely take anything or anyone for granted.
-You feel happier because you notice abundance everywhere.
-Mental health is improved and maintained because you are living in the present moment.
-You could make someone’s day; who knows if they are going through a tough time and need to hear “cheers mate”!
The most important person that benefits from an attitude of gratitude is yourself.You discover what your talents, abilities and gifts are.You’re grateful for your journey through life.You live in the present moment, appreciating people, experiences and moments as they happen.You are grateful to yourself for going through the hard times and coming out the other end stronger. You acknowledge your accomplishments and give yourself a pat on the back for trying your best even if no-one saw your efforts. Don’t worry though, the Universe took note to bring you more goodies to be grateful for!
No matter what is happening in life stay grateful to yourself, loved ones and life.