Learning Gratitude

2.4

There is proof that practicing gratitude changes your brain. However, when your in a state of anger and fear, it can be very difficult to understand this concept and put it into action.

I had a hard time understanding how I was supposed to be grateful when I had felt like I drew the short end of the stick when it came to most things in life. I always felt like everyone around me was luckier, they had a better childhood, they had more money, they had .... You can fill in the blanks, but my list was long. I didn't know where to start and I wasn't always in the mood.

I thought about it for a long time as if I felt it should be something earth shattering and didn't see all the things around me. Or I'd be more grateful if life would have been easier. But I was wrong. I had so many things to be grateful for.

If you're struggling on how to start, grab a journal, a notebook, a piece of paper, or type it in your computer.

This weekend we had some life-long friends stay with us for the weekend and always have fun when we hang out. So I thought this would be a good time to share how to get started.

So you can just start like this:

I'm thankful I woke up this morning. There are thousands of families who woke up today and one of their loved ones didn't.

I'm thankful for my friends. All of them! Each one brings something different and help make me a better person. I learn so many life lessons by listening to their life stories, their trials and tribulations.

My daughter is what I am most grateful for. I couldn't ask for a better, more perfect daughter.

You can be grateful that the sky is a pretty blue, that we're living in a time with so many advancements in science, that it's raining today, that it's not raining today, etc.

I especially use this method when I'm feeling upset or depressed. I just start thinking about and listing all the things around me.

I'd love to hear from you. What are you grateful for? Did you just start making a grateful journal or have you been writing one already? Do you need help in starting one? Let me know.