Gratitude - Why is everybody talking about it?

Gratitude -
Why is everybody talking about it?

By Hanne

I remember when my coworker talked about gratitude and writing a gratitude journal years ago, before working within wellbeing. He was very excited about it and said it had changed his life. The whole gratitude thing didn’t sink into me any deeper, but it stayed somewhere back in my mind. Today, it feels like gratitude is a huge thing, but why is everyone talking about it? What is gratitude all about? How to practice gratitude, and above all, why?

Gratitude -
Why is everybody talking about it?

Br. David Steindl-Rast sums up gratitude like this:
“Gratefulness is the key to a happy life that we hold in our hands,
because if we are not grateful,
then no matter how much we have we will not be happy
— because we will always want to have something else or something more.”

I think this sums it up really nicely. Feelings of gratitude require us to pause and observe all we have here and now.

Gratitude and practicing it, especially for things we often take for granted, requires us to pause and find the feeling of gratitude, maybe through thoughts of what if’s. What if we didn’t have this? What if we didn’t have electricity? What if there was no hot water coming from the shower? What if there was no water at all? The world we live in is abundant and full of things to be grateful for. Even if it feels like everything is a mess and struggle, there are still many things to be thankful for.

Why practice gratitude?

But why, why practice gratitude, what good is it? Practicing gratitude reduces feelings of anger, bitterness, and greed. It elevates our mood, and when we are in a state of happiness and good mood, good things increase in our lives.

I know many people who don’t believe in the so-called “good vibes only” mentality. And that’s ok; we all have the freedom to think about what we want. But especially when life seems to be difficult, it is also up to each one of us to choose what kind of emotions we want to experience and what kind of emotional states we want to spend our time in.

I can tell you that negative emotions do lead to even bigger negative emotional states. And you probably recognize this yourself. And you know what? Positive emotional states do the same; they increase positivity. Therefore, everyone can make a choice. Whichever you feel serves you more.

I can openly admit that I have liked to dwell in the depths of negativity; I mean, really stay in the depths of bad feelings and do it 110 %. Today, when I find myself heading into negative emotional states, the goal is to get out of there towards the light as quickly as possible. And the fastest way is to focus on gratitude because our brains can’t handle both negative and positive thoughts simultaneously.

Feel the Feelings of Gratitude

Gratitude is not just fancy words. Gratitude is always associated with profound feelings. Expressing gratitude at the end of a meal we have learned at an early age, but we may not have taught a genuine feeling in the learning process. Did I even taste the food I ate? Wait, what did I eat? Did I really focus 100% only on the taste of food and how quality nutrition supports the wellbeing of my body? It is a good starting point in practicing gratitude in its simplest form.

How to Start practicing Gratitude?

Doing gratitude doesn’t require you to have a gym or any other membership, just your time. You can set aside time for gratitude in the morning when your mind is calmer from thoughts of a monkey mind. Buy a lovely gratitude journal to write down all that is good in your life. Personally, I write about things that have happened the day before, things that are happening at the moment, or things that I want in my life but have not yet happened.

My biggest dreams, which have not yet come true, are present in my daily practice. With gratitude, I seek the state of emotion that I believe I will feel when it happens, and I feel the feelings of appreciation for it. Over the day, I return to gratitude, for example, when I eat delicious food, meet new people, and with it something unexpected. By the time I go to bed in the evening, I still go through everything I am grateful for and try to pick up one thing that has been the highlight of my day. This way, my day begins and ends with gratitude.

Gratitude opens your heart and allows you to experience moments of joy and happiness all the time.

Do you practice gratitude, and have you noticed its positive effects?

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Hi, I'm Hanne

I am a yoga instructor and personal trainer dedicated to holistic wellbeing and natural living. On my blog, I share insights and practical tips to help you find balance and harmony in your life.