Once you start looking for things to be grateful for, you will find yourself appreciating simple pleasures and things that you earlier took for granted.
Guess, what is the best spiritual practice we need to perform when we wake up every morning? It’s not brushing, having tea, or going to the toilet, instead, we should be thankful for the good night sleep and be grateful to the Universe for providing one more day to live.
Gratitude is the feeling and communication with the people, circumstances and material possession in our lives. It helps us to cherish our present in ways which make us feel in abundance rather than low.
Gratitude is a spiritual practice. Whenever we pass our thanks for life, even if it’s only for a parking space or getting a good healthy meal, we take a step closer to love. It always takes us in the direction of love, helping us to nurture a loving attitude towards our lives.
Gratitude means being thankful, counting and recognising our blessings, perceiving pleasures and acknowledging everything that we receive. It means learning and applying to live our life as if everything were a miracle and being aware of how much we have been given.
A behavioural and psychological study has shown the surprising life improvements which can stem from the practice of gratitude. Giving thanks makes people happier and more resilient, it strengthens relationships, improves health and reduces stress.
Practicing gratitude:
Gratitude is a training. Imagine you are standing in front of a mirror and you are to loudly recall ten things for which you are grateful for in your life at present. You might struggle at first as there is a possibility that you have not done a gratitude exercise like this before. Probably you tell yourself that it’s impossible to name ten things. However, when you pay attention to your life and stay close to your heart, you will find ten things quite easily. Gradually you will find more than ten.
In the morning the moment, you wake up, say, “I thank you God for this amazing day, for a roof on my head, my body organs, the environment, and all the facilities which are available.” And be grateful for the people whom you are going to meet later in the day.
Passing and experiencing gratitude is one of the most effective ways of getting in touch with our soul. When we are in touch with our soul, we eavesdrop on the thoughts of the universe. Thus, feeling connected to everything in creation.
Gratitude helps to trust life situations, circumstances, and people around us. It helps us to suspend our judgment, providing another way of looking at things. “Life is not happening to us, it happens for us.”
There is a saying, “Grass is always greener on the other side”, however, if we take out time and water our own grass it will be just as green. Practicing gratitude for everything helps us to be more present in our life. The more we are present, the less you feel like something is missing.
Start with a daily spiritual practice which is called “Daily Gratitude’. Invite yourself to stand in front of a mirror and finish the gratitude sentence ten times: one thing I am grateful for
The writer is an alternative medicine practitioner
