Five Ways to Cultivate an Attitude of Gratitude
Susie Michelle Cortright
Gratitude keeps us centered and wards off jealousy and
negativity.
Here are five little things we can do each day to
nourish our sense of gratitude:
1. Choose your friends wisely.
If you want to be more grateful, spend time with
grateful people. Spend time with positive people to
be more positive; joyful people to be more joyful;
critical people to be more critical; irritated people
to feel more irritated.
If you strive to be spiritually strong, supportive,
empowering, intelligent, energetic, and positive, seek
those characteristics in others.
Help your friends develop more positive traits by
living those positive traits yourself. Know what kind
of friends will help you nurture your soul, and set
out to find some.
2. Help your friends cultivate gratitude.
Before you say anything about a friend's situation,
remember that everyone's situation is unique. I've
seen it happen to myself and to my friends. They'll
be perfectly happy until someone tells them they're
being mistreated. Suddenly, they're upset.
Don't let your friends wield such power, and work to
avoid wielding such power yourself.
Day by day, hour by hour, make a goal to stop
complaining about your life. Make a pact with your
friends to cut the complaints from your conversations.
3. Give the gift of gratitude to your children.
One of the most lasting contributions we can make to
our children is to help them understand that we don't
deserve anything and everything just because we live
and breathe.
Help your children to be satisfied with the simple
things while giving them the innate power and ability
to achieve whatever they want in life...by living in
such a way yourself.
4. Say "Thank You."
Whom in your life do you appreciate? Let them know,
whether it's your mom, your kids, your friends, your
husband, your child's daycare provider or the helpful
woman behind the cosmetics counter.
You don't have to spout some corny line. A heartfelt
"thank you" often does the trick. Make it a habit and
your attention will suddenly turn to all the things
people do for you.
Write thank you notes regularly - not just after a
gift exchange - and be mindful of all the ways you
show your appreciation by the things you do in return.
Another idea: Spend 15 minutes writing a letter to
your children. In this note, tell them how much you
love them, why you're thankful for them, and all the
ways they have enriched your life. This can be
something you give them now or after they have grown.
5. Be mindful of the little things.
Today, strive to be aware of all the aspects of your
personal, professional, and family life for which you
are thankful.
Take a few minutes today to appreciate nature. Go
for a walk and notice only those things that are
beautiful. Whether you focus on the stars above, a
distant mountain range, or the cottonwood tree in
your backyard, try to notice the details. Give thanks
for the beauty that surrounds us.
Oprah Winfrey and Sarah Ban Breathnach, author of
Simple Abundance, speak often of the importance of a
Gratitude Journal, in which, at the end of each day,
they record five things that they're grateful for.
Regardless of whether you record these items, spend
some time each day to focus on the little things in
your life that make each day special. Perhaps it's
your child's toothless grin. A warm home. Delicious
food enjoyed with family.
Together, let's work on focusing on what we have -
not on what we don't have - and all the ways we can
help one another have more gratitude for the gift of life.
Susie Cortright is the editor of two "just for you" websites:
BestSelfHelp.com, which saves you time and money by cataloging
only the best personal growth tools, and Momscape.com, devoted
to helping busy parents find balance. Today, Momscape visitors
receive Susie's "6 Days to Less Stress" course free:
http://www.momscape.com
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