The Attitude for Gratitude
Source: https://homejarfitness.com/the-attitude-for-gratitude/
BY: LANAE AGEE, RN, CHIEF WELLNESS OFFICER
We have turned the clocks back, loaded the kids up with Halloween candy and we are now being bombarded with Christmas decorations and forced to think about holiday shopping before we ever even get to Thanksgiving.
I don’t know about you, but as much as I love Christmas, I DON’T want to rush it forward. This time of the year can be very stressful…financially burdened, way over scheduled, pressured to fit everything in, buy the perfect gift, stretched way too thin and challenged with maddening traffic and exacerbating crowds.
With Thanksgiving just 2 weeks away, I say we use these 14 days to give thanks and show some gratitude before the snowball rolls us into Christmas.
Most of us associate gratitude with saying “thank you” to someone who has helped us or given us a gift. But gratitude is not an action, it is a positive emotion with purpose. I like this explanation from Harvard Medical School:
“a thankful appreciation for what an individual receives, whether tangible or intangible. With gratitude, people acknowledge the goodness in their lives… As a result, gratitude also helps people connect to something larger than themselves as individuals – whether to other people, nature, or a higher power”
I have heard others explain:
“Gratitude is not what I have in my hand, but rather in my heart.”
The benefits of practicing gratitude are nearly endless. People who regularly reflect upon the things they’re truly grateful for experience more positive emotions, feel more alive, sleep better, express more compassion and kindness, and tend to lead healthier lives with a balance of mind, body and spirit.
Thankfulness, when we really stop and pay attention to what we are grateful for, can be transformative. Thoughts and words of gratitude are powerful triggers of optimism. The practice of gratitude is a way of life and contagious. When someone expresses appreciation toward us, it evokes a deep feeling of blessedness and love that we then want to share with others. We should intentionally make gratitude a habit.
Think of a world where instead of blaring the horn or giving someone a hand gesture out the window, we paused and let the other person lead before us or we thought of others first instead of ourselves. Take it upon yourself to appreciate more, complain less, say yes and embrace the silver lining. This kind of gratitude goes beyond the “thank you note” (which of course is always a nice gesture and should be done more frequently in my opinion).
Unlike other positive emotions like hope and happiness, gratitude is inherently relational. It reaches past the person experiencing it and into the social territory. It is gratitude that inspires people to act in kindness and strengthen bonds with other people.
So, over these next 14 days I challenge you to show gratitude, be thankful, exhibit appreciation and be kind and generous. Make note of your intentions and expound upon them. This will not only be a good example for your kids (of any age) and family, but our community as a whole.
“I don’t have to chase extraordinary moments to find happiness – it’s right in front of me if I’m paying attention and practicing gratitude.” ~ Brene Brown
“A thankful heart is one of the primary identifying characteristics of a believer. It stands in stark contrast to pride, selfishness, and worry. And it helps fortify the believer’s trust in the Lord and reliance of His provision, even in the toughest times. No matter how choppy the seas become, a believer’s heart is buoyed by constant praise and gratefulness to the Lord.” ~John MacArthur