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Do you feel blessed today? Do you live your life with a heart of gratitude? Having a gratitude filled heart can increase your personal growth, allow for forgiveness, provide hope and optimism, reduce stress, depression or anxiety and fulfill your life overall.
Some benefits of gratitude for your emotional health are being relaxed, good feelings, more resilient, less envious and happier memories. For your personality you become less self-centered, less materialistic, have increased self-esteem, you are more optimistic and more spiritual. Your physical health you have improved sleep, are less sick, increased energy, you exercise more and have longevity in life. Then in your job or career you develop improved decision making, increased productivity, goals achieved, better management, and improved networking. It helps your social environment by making you kinder, have more friendships, you are more social, have a healthier marriage and deeper relationships. These experiences cause you to feel happiness.
The greatest test is when you are able to bless someone else while you are going through your own storm. – Unknown
During life’s struggles or storms it is important to ask yourself ‘what am I grateful for today?’ Every day you have something you feel thankful for even on the those terrible days. For starters you woke up. You have loved ones in your life, a spouse, children, parents, a best friend to feel thankful for in your life. Do you have shelter, food, your monthly bills paid, a job to take care of your needs then thankfulness for these items. Is your health good? In your faith, believing in God and all he does for you can make you feel grateful.
“This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” – Psalm 118:24 (KJV)
On any day you can feel grateful for any dozen or more items. Safe travels to work, your car starting, that cup of coffee in the morning, your alarm going off, the hot water you took a shower in to become clean, the heat on a chilly night, the air conditioning on those hot ones, the smile of your spouse, the hug or kiss you share, the joy in a child’s laughter, the song of the birds, the sunny or raining day, private moment with God in prayer and reading his word.
Life can be full of things that are going wrong. Take a moment to be thankful for the many things that are going right and it will improve your life overall.
To help you practice gratitude do one of these simple practices.
Gratitude Journal – Every day take a moment to write three things you’re grateful for from that day. Write a sentence or two on those three things. Example: Husband – He knew I had a busy day ahead, so he made breakfast for me this morning, told me he loved me and was proud of me. I was in need of his encouragement today and didn’t know it until he shared it. Dedicate five minutes right before you go to sleep to write these moments you’re grateful for. It will help you sleep better and give your mind positive thoughts to focus on before bed.
Gratitude Jar 1 – Get yourself a large mason jar or a bowl with a lid (you can decorate it if you wish) and put it in a place you see it every day before bed. Use scraps of paper to write something you’re grateful for and place it within the jar or bowl. One year from the time you start it take a few moments and read everything all placed within it in the past year. Your heart will fill with joy as you read each item and it will remind you of memories and things that have taken place in the last 365 days.
Gratitude Jar 2 – Get matching mason jars for each member in your home, decorate them as you like and make this a family project. Place the jars together where everyone can see them daily. In another jar place colored beads, glass beads or stones in a small bowl in the same location. If you’re grateful for something by another family member, place a bead, marble or stone in their jar and tell them why you put it there. This should take place right before bed as it will soothe those difficult moments of the day before each family member sleeps. It helps them know you care, improves sleep and love from everyone. This can encourage each child to improve actions each day. You’ll find that children will want to help you so you will feel grateful for them. (If you have older children get out scraps of paper and put them in a bowl and have them write and place what they’re grateful for in that persons jar and pick a time to sit down and read them together every three to six months. As it will encourage everyone to know they’re appreciated.)
You look for things or doing things for others that make you or someone else feels grateful. You notice things you didn’t appreciate before too. This attitude of gratitude has a way of transforming your life and those of your family members. Allowing everyone to feel happy on a day-to-day basis. Yes, there will still be struggles and conflicts in a home, office or in other relationships but when you experience the blessings of gratitude, it will improve all areas of your life for the better.
“Every good and perfect gift is from above.” – James 1:17 (NIV)
Do you have a way to show gratitude in your family? How about recording things you’re grateful for each day? Is there a review time to go over them and experience the joy you felt of each moment or memory? I’d love to hear your methods of showing gratitude in your family, how you record it and review them, so leave a comment below.
Blessings,
Lisa
