Thriving Through Gratitude
Gratitude is the act of recognizing that there are good things in the world and that many of those things are not solely within our control. We all depend on other people to thrive. Whether it is the farmer who grows and harvests your food, the stranger who lets you merge into traffic, an artist whose music you sing along to, or a friend who calls to just say hello, we are all given gifts everyday.
Taking time to recognize those gifts can improve our mental health, boost our immune system, slow down the physical aging process, and improve our relationships. Looking to cultivate an attitude of gratitude? Try this short exercise.
Think about the last 24 hours and spend two minutes writing about the best thing that happened to you. Try to fully relive the situation. Invoke all of your senses as you write about what you saw, heard, and felt. Were there any specific smells in the environment? Who else played a role in the situation? What feelings did you experience that made it such a great moment? After your two minutes is up, go back and review what you wrote. Not only will it serve as a reminder for truly marvelous things in your life, but because your brain can’t differentiate between experiencing and remembering, you will get the added bonus of re-living the moment.
Gratitude Photo by Marcos Paulo Prado on Unsplash