How to Activate the Power of Gratitude

I hope that you are working on your goals and dreams everyday. On your path, always remain grateful. The gratitude practice is a tool for happiness and its usefulness is knowledgeable to mainstream. Long-term studies support gratitude’s effectiveness, suggesting that a positive, appreciative attitude contributes to greater success in work, greater health, peak performance in sports and business. It also contributes to a higher sense of well-being, and a faster rate of recovery from health issues.

But while we may acknowledge gratitude’s benefits, it can be difficult to prolong. In general, we are trained to notice what is broken, undone or lacking in our lives. But, to reap gratitude’s full healing potential, we have to embody an appreciative mindset.

We have to create a new routine. That’s why practicing gratitude makes so much sense. When we practice giving thanks for all we have, instead of complaining about what we lack, we give ourselves the chance to see all of life as an opportunity and a blessing.

Remember that gratitude isn’t a blindly optimistic approach in which the bad things in life are whitewashed or ignored. It’s more a matter of where we put our focus and attention. Pain and injustice exist in this world, but when we focus on the gifts of life, we gain a feeling of well-being.

Gratitude balances us and gives us hope. There are many things to be grateful for:

• colorful autumn leaves
• legs that work
• friends who listen and really hear
• chocolate
• fresh eggs
• warm jackets
• tomatoes
• the ability to read
• roses
• our health
• butterflies

What’s on Your Gratitude List?

Some Ways to Practice Gratitude

• Keep a gratitude journal in which you list things you are thankful for in your life. You can make daily, weekly or monthly lists. Greater frequency may be better for creating a new habit, but just keeping that journal where you can see it will remind you to think in a grateful way.
• Make a gratitude collage by drawing or pasting pictures
• Practice gratitude around the dinner table or make it part of your nighttime routine
• Make a game of finding the hidden blessing in a challenging situation. When you feel like complaining, make a gratitude list instead. You may be amazed by how much better you feel

Notice how gratitude is impacting your life. Write about it, sing about it, express thanks for gratitude. As you practice, an inner shift begins to occur, and you may be delighted to discover how content and hopeful you are feeling. That sense of fulfillment is gratitude at work.

JoAnn Youngblood King, CTA Certified Success Coach, Author, Speaker and Owner of Live Your Potential is a member of Coach Training Alliance, and The International Association of Coaches. She specializes in working with mom entrepreneurs to find the time needed to start their business or take their existing business to the next level. To reach your immediate goals get strategic steps by subscribing to her newsletter to the right. For ways of achieving goals with your faith, JoAnn's new book is released, Live Your Potential and Let Your Faith Lead You to Success available on Amazon