How to Have an Attitude of Gratitude

Many of us have heard the phrase, “Thankful, Grateful, and Blessed” but how many of us are truly grateful and thankful? How many of us truly see our blessings and express our gratitude? Most of us never consider our blessings, instead we worry and shift our focus on our problems. That alone will cause nothing but anxiety and unhappiness. When we are anxious and filled with negative energy, everyone around us will feel it. It’s not good for our well-being or our loved ones. This can all change with our way of thinking. It’s time to cultivate an attitude of gratitude.

When I was younger, I was always a pretty positive person. I loved doing things for others. It made me happy to see other people happy. I love giving people genuine compliments, and if I don’t mean it I won’t say it. I am still like that, but a couple of years ago, I developed an autoimmune disease and my focus shifted. I wasn’t positive or happy. I didn’t feel well, so therefore my mental state and mood was gloomy. I almost got lost in that fog. It took a while to get my health back to at least where I felt “OK”, and then I started working on getting myself back. I had become a little bitter and cynical. That’s just not me. I had to reevaluate my life and make some adjustments.

It is really hard to stay a positive person in a world full of negative energy. With so many people holding grudges, being spiteful, or just down-right fake, how can you stay positive? Easy…COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS. Yes, that sounds cliché, but DO YOU count your blessings? Maybe you count the big ones, but you should have gratitude for all the little things that have brought you the big things.

“When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around.” — Willie Nelson

Having gratitude for everything, will shift your entire focus. Positive energy can be contagious. When you are truly grateful and thank people in your life for the things that they do, you send good vibes out into the world. Just think what could happen if WE ALL DID THAT.

Gratitude not only shifts our mental focus, when we have gratitude, we sleep better, eat better, and we are generally more healthy. Once we ponder the way we think, feel, and live our life, we can start living more INTENTIONALLY. Living in the present, and not just counting our blessings but FEELING them everyday.

Since I started living more intentionally and truly counting my blessings, my life has changed for the better. Like I said, positivity can be contagious. When you are positive, all those around you can feel your vibe. If you aren’t naturally positive or maybe you have just been in a low place, it’s hard to know where to even start turning that all around. Just as Rome wasn’t built in a day, you have to start simple. Aim small, miss small. Here is a FREE 5 Day Guide To Living A More Intentional Life.

Inhale Love, Exhale Gratitude.

The most simple way to start being more grateful, is to start a journal. I find the easiest time to journal is at night. When the world is quiet and you are alone with your thoughts. Each night write about something you are grateful for. When we start focusing on what is going right in our lives, then it shifts our whole way of thinking. Most of us go to bed thinking of all the things we need to do the next day, or sometimes even replaying a conversation from 5 years before, thinking of a better thing to say. What if we go to bed grateful? It can’t lead to anything but GOOD. A GOOD night’s rest, and GOOD attitude upon waking.

These are some excellent journals that give prompts to help you write your gratitude so you can unlock your blessings.

If you don’t have a lot of time I also recommend The Five Minute Journal: A Happier You in 5 Minutes a Day. It has excellent prompts that are quick and to the point, but also thought-provoking. These journals are all great, especially to start out with. I personally use this rustic beauty because I like a blank slate to write all my thoughts, sketches and doodles to go along with whatever is on my mind. Get a journal! Or even just a notebook. Putting your gratitude in writing, is such a great way to FEEL your blessings. Journaling evokes mindfulness, which will connect you to a more present and happier-self. Keeping a gratitude journal will expand your sense of well-being by shifting your mind to focus on the GOOD.

Gratitude Journal Prompts

What are you most grateful for?

What is your favorite emotion and when was the last time you felt it?

What are 10 things you are grateful for?

What is your proudest accomplishment?

What is the hardest thing you ever experienced? How did it shape you?

Name 5 things you enjoy doing?

What do you love most about yourself?

What was the last nice thing you did for someone without asking for something in return?

What makes you comfortable?

These journal prompts should help you get started. Remember, having a gratitude journal is an amazing tool that can transform your life for the better. A recent study by the University of California San Diego School of Medicine proved that keeping a gratitude journal can be very beneficial to your heart health.

Of course, keeping a gratitude journal will help you stay more mindful of your gratitude, but you need to express your gratitude to others as well. For this purpose, I have made a 30 Day Plan to Cultivate an Attitude of Gratitude.

Whether or not the practice of gratitude comes to you naturally, paying attention to life’s positive attributes will help you be more grateful. Acknowledging your blessings–in writing, with words, or by how you live–will help you have an attitude of gratitude that will last a lifetime. Remember, the struggle ends when gratitude begins.

What are you GRATEFUL for?

Related Posts: