It’s a tough time for many people at the moment in Australia, with a succession of one company after another declaring that they are downsizing or moving their operations off shore. Facing the prospect of losing your job and your income, not to mention on a deeper level your identity, sense of security and self-belief is very stressful and depressing. I am usually an optimistic person, always preferring to see the glass half full and look on the brighter side of life. But recently I have been experiencing some of the fear that comes from uncertainty about my own long-term job situation and I have sought out ways to put things into perspective in my own mind and find my way back to a happy frame of mind. One of the ways I’ve done this is to concentrate more intently on practising gratitude.
In Joshua Rosenthal’s article, Gratitude: The Secret to Happiness, he says “Shifting the focus from what you don't have to what you do have can have a profound influence on your moment-to-moment mood and emotional state, and it can have a huge impact on your physical health, as well. In fact, there is a burgeoning field of research -- positive psychology -- devoted to looking at the contributing factors of happiness and well-being.
In a study by scientists at the University of California, Berkerley it was found that people who practice gratitude consistently report of host of benefits:
· Stronger immune systems and lower blood pressure;
· Higher levels of positive emotions;
· More joy, optimism, and happiness;
· Acting with more generosity and compassion;
· Feeling less lonely and isolated.
In the past few weeks consciously thinking of what I’m grateful for has helped me immensely. I’ve always subconsciously been expressing my gratitude -- whenever something good happens, I sent a silent “thank you so much, I appreciate this event, this day, this situation” to the Universe and God particularly if I have been yearning and asking for an event to work out a certain way. But I never knew the profound impact that practising gratitude regularly can have on my life.
In her books Simple Abundance and Peace and Plenty, Sarah Bran Breathnach recommends keeping a Gratitude Journal, a “polite daily thank-you note to the Universe.” She recommends writing down up to 5 things to be grateful for from the day, and acknowledges that some days you could be grateful for simply having reached the end of that day. By recognising these events, people, situations and feelings and expressing gratitude you realise how lucky you actually are, and feelings of positivity, if not optimism, start to return.
We can all learn to express gratitude regularly, rather than in response to major events taking place in our lives. In this way, we take the time to notice and appreciate what we have, rather than wishing for what we don’t have. Being able to appreciate the small wins and subtle gifts in our ordinary lives is what being this is all about. Expressing gratitude brings forward in my mind the things are the most important to me, and I realise how little of the material elements of our world feature in these thoughts.
Gratitude is the basic ingredient to create joy in our lives. In her book The Gifts of Imperfection Brené Brown talks about how the practice of gratitude can lead to a joyful life. She says “One of the most profound changes in my life happened when I got my head around the relationship between gratitude and joy. I always thought that joyful people were grateful people. I mean, why wouldn’t they be? They have all of that goodness to be grateful for. But after spending countless hours collecting stories about joy and gratitude, three powerful patterns emerged:
· Without exception, every person I interviewed who described living a joyful life or who described themselves as joyful, actively practiced gratitude and attributed their joyfulness to their gratitude practice.
· Both joy and gratitude were described as spiritual practices that were bound to a belief in human interconnectedness and a power greater than us.
· People were quick to point out the differences between happiness and joy as the difference between a human emotion that’s connected to circumstances and a spiritual way of engaging with the world that’s connected to practicing gratitude.”
I have much in my life to be thankful and grateful for, and I am recognising and acknowledging this on a daily basis. Do you practice gratitude, and if so has it created more joy and satisfaction in your life? I’d love to hear about it, so drop me a post or send an email to livewelllivesmart@gmail.com
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