An Attitude of Gratitude

I was reading an article the other day and the author, Nataly Kogan, posed the question “Are you chasing your “Big Happy”?”

She went on to say that “One of the many things I learned while chasing The Big Happy was that even though a lot of satisfaction and pride comes with achievement, happiness does not. In fact, the chase of this idealized non-existent state of happiness left me depressed and exhausted. The answer I found in every article and book and research paper I read was this: practice gratitude.”

When you have an attitude of gratitude you focus on expanding the positives in your life, rather than dwelling on the negatives. Having an attitude of gratitude means that you are making a conscious decision to build a habit of expressing thankfulness and appreciation for every part of your life. It means consciously being grateful for, every aspect of your life, both the things that are going well and the things that aren’t.

When you express gratitude you feel more positive and are more intentional about your actions. It means that you operate from a place of abundance, rather than scarcity and that you take time to appreciate everything in your life. People who practice gratitude are thankful for their relationships, their health, their business, and their sense of well-being. Having an attitude of gratitude is important because it shifts your focus from yourself to appreciating someone or something else. It makes you really appreciate the people and things that matter most to you.

Gratitude is important because what you focus on and appreciate grows in value. When you practice gratitude your relationships, your work, your health, and your mindset become more important to you. Being grateful also improves your self-confidence, your self-esteem and enhances your enjoyment of the present moment. In addition to feeling more confident, positive, and optimistic, when you have a gratitude mindset it reduces stress, overwhelms and frustration, and creates feelings of happiness.

Gratitude forces you to intentionally focus on the goodness in the world, but it doesn’t mean that we just ignore the stress and chaos that is around us. Instead, gratitude helps us keep sight of the good in the midst of the negativity, pain, and craziness that life sometimes brings. It helps us remember that while some things might be out of our control, much of what happens in our life is based on how we think, feel, and act. Our responses and the things we choose to focus on are things we can control, which is why it’s so important to be grateful no matter what’s happening in your life.