Imagine how wonderful life would be, how happy you would be, if everywhere and in every moment you could find something to be grateful for. We have billions of bits of information coming at us every millionth of a second. Of course, we can’t be consciously aware of all of it because it will be overwhelming. Our brain filters the information coming in through a set of rules (our beliefs) and how much we priorities those beliefs, so that we notice what’s important.
You probably are aware if you are a glass half full or half empty type of person. This is a rule your brain filters information through, so you are more likely to see the good in things or the bad in things. We can reprogram ourselves to see the good things all around ourselves. Sparking off warm fuzzy feelings inside of us all day long.
Gratitude is the practice of being Grateful. It actually takes practice. But fortunately, the more you do something the better you get at it. This is because the more you practice gratitude the stronger the connections get in your brain, the more priority your brain gives to the rule to notice things you could be grateful for and the more natural it becomes to see the world that way.
So, grab yourself a notebook and make a new practice for yourself. Just a few minutes a day to change your brain and your life. Each day write about three things that you are grateful for that happened that day and how that made you feel. At first it can be a bit hard, but soon your internal radar starts looking for those things. It starts to pay attention to them because completing the task each night makes seeing things to be grateful for a priority. It starts seeing things to be grateful for throughout the day, it notices them. Then it feels great at the time and you might even say thank you to someone who was thoughtful and make them feel great too.
Not only does gratitude practice make you feel great and happier, it also has some great health benefits. Studies have shown it improves sleep, mental health, physical health, reduces pain and improves relationships. Why not give it a go for a month as see for yourself. What have you got to lose?