Having an Attitude of Gratitude

Just because Thanksgiving is behind us doesn't mean we should forget the power of Gratitude. In fact, heading into what is sometimes the most stressful time of year for many of us, remembering what we are grateful for can create the happiest of holidays.

I think that people who take the time to notice and appreciate the good things around them are happier and more peaceful. The key is; making a conscious effort to notice what you have rather then what you don't have. It seems that most of us tend to focus on what we don't have, what went wrong in our day, or what we think we need to improve on.

What if we changes our thought process? What if we focused on what went right and what we already have? What if we ended each day thinking of our blessings? Maybe the project you just presented wasn't received as well as you expected, but how about having gratitude for the opportunity for having a job at all? Household chores are not always fun, but how about being grateful for having a home to clean? Instead of wishing for thinner legs or curly hair maybe we need to be grateful we have our health. Shifting your focus to gratitude as oppose to what went wrong somehow takes the stress off, at least it does for me.

There are so many ways we can express gratitude, here are a few ideas:

• Notice when other do kind thing for you, show gratitude with actions or words.
• Encourage someone with a honest compliment.
• Don't worry about tomorrow. Focus on what you are happy about today.
• Write down something you are grateful for each day creating a journal. On the days that seem tough, take it out and read it.
• Help someone out without them having to ask you.

Gratitude shouldn't end with Thanksgiving, its something that needs to be practiced daily. Making a conscious effort to notice what you have everyday takes time, but with a little effort you will be surprised what a difference it can make...give it a try!