Do You Need Gratitude?

How are you feeling these days?

If you're feeling crook, my sympathy!

It's possible you may be missing an important ingredient to life, namely Gratitude.

(It's like eating fries without salt!)

Why Gratitude?

Well, people who exercise Gratitude show increased wellbeing and happiness.

They also have increased energy, optimism and empathy for those around them.

They're also better able to cope with stress and they can reach their goals easier.

So how do you keep your gratitude levels going?

One way is to keep a gratitude journal, where you actively write down what you’re grateful for each day.

But you can also do these things:

Write thank-you notes: both to yourself and to others who have meaning in your life.

When you get into the habit of writing thank-you letters it helps you express gratitude in addition to simply feeling it inside.
You can write them on a business card that you keep in your pocket: every hour, get it out and read it to yourself.
Count your blessings: Once a week, reflect on things or events for which you are grateful, and write them down.

As you do, you will re-live the sensations of happiness and thankfulness you felt at the time it happened.
If you are religious, pray. Most religions have a routine that incorporates gratitude - it's one of the oldest practices in the world.
Mindfulness meditation: Practicing "mindfulness" means that you're actively paying attention to the moment you're in right now.

See the bonus video at the bottom of this post for a meditation on gratitude and thankfulness.

A mantra is sometimes used to help maintain focus, but you can also focus on something that you're grateful for, such as a pleasant smell, a cool breeze, or a lovely memory.

However, guided meditations are not useful for this purpose as you want your own mind to be active, not the ideas expressed by the 'Guide'

So Do You Need Gratitude? Yes!

(My thanks to you for reading this post!)