I don’t know why this is rhyming in my head ” More gratitude less attitude”, I was actually going to put that as the blog post title but oh well this works fine too. So let’s talk about Gratitude, being thankful, counting your blessings & all that jazz. How often are we able to do that? For real, I think I am unthankful every now & then without even realizing. Gratitude in simple words means being thankful, being happy with what you have & being content with the simple pleasures of life. I wanted to write this post so whenever I feel down or in other words feel unthankful, I can come here & feel great for the things that I have. So here are 5 ways to find more gratitude in life:
Beat the Culture:
The consumer culture of constantly wanting more has seriously sucked the joy out of everything. Every day we are bombarded by advertisements & direct marketing that makes us feel that we need all those products. It’s okay to buy them once in a while but on a constant hunt for what’s better will pull you down the drain. The constant want of more & more needs to stop if you want to practice gratitude.
Make it a Habit:
Gratitude shifts your mind from what you don’t have to what you have. Once you learn how to be thankful for what you have, you have less stress & therefore you are happier & the cycle continues. If you are able to continue this cycle, you are a lucky person, my friend. Unluckily, for most of us life is about waiting for the right moment to be happy, the moment we get the desired job, perfect life partner, have kids or be a certain size/shape, fit in anything you want. Why do we do this? Why do we deprive ourself of simple joys of life? Joys that can simply uplift our mood & make us happy. Make it a habit to be happy on simple achievements, with time & more practice it will get easier.
Count Your Blessings- Literally:
We hear this so often that we start taking this phrase for granted too. Geez. Anybody who says you must count your blessings, we are like ya ya I know. Here’s something that will change your perspective, I have been constantly doing research on this topic & how awesome is this: imagine your life without the blessings you already have, your eyes, legs, parents, home, food etc & then imagine getting them back one by one, now can you picture yourself & how happy you will be. That is the feeling that you have to hold & practice each day. Knowing & believing that you are blessed beyond imagination.
Fewer Comparisons:
“Comparison is the thief of joy.” Isn’t it so? Don’t you feel miserable after comparing your life with someone else? Either you feel envious or jealous towards that person or you feel superior, none of the feelings are useful. You need to remember that their success is not your failure. By comparing yourself you are actually insulting your life, your achievements & your story. Would you ever insult someone you love? by comparing them with others & belittle them then why would you do that to yourself? to your own life? Think about it.
Focus on the less fortunate:
I have always wanted to be a social worker & somehow give back to the society. In my university days, we had a project in our psychology class. We chose “Edhi Foundation” the women and children section to document their life & tragic stories. It was surely an eye opener for all teammates. Edhi Foundation is a welfare center which offers all services like hospitals, ambulances, abandon children welfare center, etc After visiting the women & children section, I wasn’t able to sleep or eat for almost a week or probably more. It left an impact on my heart till today and probably forever. Talking to those women who are forever waiting for their children, husbands or father to come pick them up, was simply devastating. We don’t even realize but that is the most basic thing to be thankful for: our parents, our family, love, a roof over our head. They were literally yearning to hear from their family members. When you see something like this, you are ought to be grateful for what you have. So maybe go visit a shelter nearby.
Conclusion:
It’s very simple yet it’s also very complicated because so many external factors constantly distract us. But remember to practice it like you would practice making a dish till it’s perfect. I hope these tips will help you stay grounded and in finding more gratitude in life. This is going to be a treasure for me to come back and re-read to knock some sense into my brain whenever I am feeling down.
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