The Power of Gratitude

Since the arrival of social media, it seems like everywhere you look there is another inspirational quote about the power of gratitude. Now everyone knows that gratitude isn’t meaningless, but if you aren’t consciously practicing spirituality, the idea of having a gratitude practice can seem like a whole lot of hype. But every spiritually seasoned practitioner knows that gratitude is absolutely not hype, you just need to look at it with a new sense of perspective.

To find gratitude, it’s useful to examine the past to find ways that you were living that don’t serve your highest self. But life isn’t meant to be lived by dwelling on the past with a feeling of regret or a desire to change what’s already happened. It’s important to find gratitude because when you do, you gain perspective on the things that have already happened, and only then can you learn from them and grow in spiritual awareness.

So having a gratitude attitude is not just a moment or a feeling, but an overall outlook on life. It’s even a way to approach your very existence. That’s because gratitude helps you stay present in the moment and connects you to your purpose. It’s truly transformative, and can even be foundational in building a spiritual practice.

The truth is, gratitude is a state of mind, and the more aware you are of the gifts that are right in front of you, the more you begin to enjoy life to its fullest, maybe even in a deeper way because of the source it arrived from. The thing is, the universe won’t be willing to give you more blessings if it seems as if you don’t feel what you already have is good enough. But it’s not going to help to try to feel thankful when you just aren’t feeling it. So be ready to sit with your emotions and understand the source of where they come from. When you can look at gratitude as a way to expand your happiness and attract what it is you want in life, you can light the fire within yourself to begin a gratitude practice as a form of manifestation.

What’s so awesome about practicing gratitude is that it’s actually backed by science.

There’s real evidence that a gratitude practice has some serious health benefits:

Gratitude is one of the stepping stones that deepen your journey into the spiritual realm by keeping you committed to the present moment. It will allow you to open up fully and channel the joys of spirituality because it will give you a greater sense of awareness. But it’s not just about being thankful. It goes way deeper than that. It’s about sending energy out into the universe to manifest abundance. When you actively practice gratitude, you are paying attention to the way the universe brings you joy, and it’s precisely this clarity that heightens your senses and elevates you into a conscious state of awareness.

Like with anything, the more you practice gratitude and put it into action, the greater transformation that you will derive from it. You want to look at it as a way to channel your brain to choose to see the many blessings that life brings you, and it’s not nearly as time-consuming as you might think. In fact, you can adopt a daily gratitude practice in just five to ten minutes a day:

1. Keep an audio journal. As you go through your day, look for things to feel grateful for. When you come across something, take a moment to tell it to your phone. Apps like Otter and Evernote are excellent at recording audio and it’s an easy way to practice gratitude. Whenever you are feeling down, you can go back and listen to all the things that you are grateful for!

2. Keep a gratitude jar. Take a moment every day to write down something that you are grateful for and drop it into a gratitude jar. Eventually, you will have a jar full of all the things, big and little, that you feel so blessed about

3. Go for a gratitude walk. Even if you are just taking your dog for a short walk, you can make it into something mindful, just be sure to engage your five senses. Feel the wind in your face, notice the trees and the flowers. You can also make it a time to reflect back on your day so far and find what you are thankful for.

4. Write a gratitude letter. Another way to practice gratitude is by letting people around you know that you are thankful for them. When you let others around you know that you feel grateful for their support, you intentionally create space to manifest more blessings, and the universe will respond accordingly.

5. Play the compliment game. Sometimes it’s easier to turn a gratitude practice into a game. Try going about your day looking for a way to compliment three people. It can be kind of fun to make a game out of it, and who knows, you might actually make someone’s day!

So if you haven’t formed a gratitude practice yet, build one. Because when you do, you can connect with those around you more deeply and be of service to others. When you become fully aware of the gifts that you receive, you spread joy not just for yourself but for those around you, as well. You find your purpose in life, and gratitude is the compass that gets you there.