By Madhurima Ghosh –
The term Gratitude is very well known but very few know its real meaning and it is practiced by even fewer.
Have you ever experienced the struggle when a piece of food gets stuck in between two teeth? When it happens, we constantly fiddle the food particle with the tongue to put it out and continue to feel uneasy until it is removed. Even though 31 teeth is trouble free, that 1 tooth has our whole attention and focus.
Mind in general works in this fashion. It has the tendency to neglect the good and drift its focus towards the negative areas of life making us restless and uneasy. It tries to uproot the problem without realising that the persistent effort is causing more emotional damage. Problems are real and they need practical solutions too but one should not be consumed by them, as that leads to misery. Being grateful for all the good things in life helps to keep mind positive and statistically there would always be more things to be grateful for than ungrateful.
Gratitude is a state of being. It has to be practiced and developed in course of time. In amidst of busy schedule, struggles and desire for more we often forget to be thankful for all that we already have. It is very important to pause and take an account of all the good things that happened or currently happening. This can be as major as a promotion or as minor as someone giving a smile. Every good event deserves to be felt grateful for. Being thankful keeps the mind at peace and imbibes positive energy within which in turn gives better sleep, better immune system, a better life.
Though, sometimes it can be extremely tough to feel grateful and positive. In situations where pain is associated with losing a dear one or a terminal disease or failure after a long tenure of hard work, being grateful can seem impossible but even in such times one can be appreciative for all the support and love of caring family and friends. This would give them inner strength to get through the situation.
The Easiest Way to Practice Gratitude
- When worldly difficulties clog the mind and life feels like an injustice, start by sitting back and taking a deep breath. Think of few positive sides like –
- Having healthy body and mind because there are many who are physically or mentally challenged.
- Having a loved one by the side because many are living a lonely life. Express it to the loved one that how much his/her presence is appreciated. This would strengthen the relationship.
- Having food to eat, clean water to drink and home to rest because there are many who doesn’t have this luxury
Followed by this list all the other positives that are there in life and quickly there would be a shift in energy.
- A gratitude log can also be maintained where write about 3 things or people you are grateful for and once a week write 3 to 5 action points to thank people you are grateful for. Feeling thankful and delivering it gives a lot of peace to the mind about which we are unaware of.
The concept of Gratitude is very age old and still today’s generation doesn’t pay much attention to it but gratitude can really bring lot of changes in mind and in life. A poem composed by Johnson Oatman Jr, gives us a very powerful message about gratitude –
Gratitude makes us happier and after reading this article of yours, I’m the happiest. I am obliged to thank you a thousand and more times and how nice of you to be sharing this important article.
Thank you so much 😊