Practicing Gratitude

“I am happy because I’m grateful. I choose to be grateful. That gratitude allows me to be happy.”
– Will Arnett

Practising gratitude is a great way to achieve Happiness. As my friend and previous life coach Katrina Love once said to me, “You can’t be in fear and gratitude at the same time.” When we practise gratitude on a regular basis it helps us reprogramme our brain. The more we practise gratitude, the more we will find that our brain starts automatically noticing things we can be grateful for.

Practising gratitude also helps us get what we want. We start focusing on what we have got, instead of what we haven’t got. When we focus on what we’re grateful for, the universe gives us more of the same.

It can also be helpful to be grateful for anything we’re finding difficult in our life. For example, if we are unhappy at work, focusing on the good things about our job can help us to reframe things and see things in a more positive light. There is nearly always, if not always, something to be grateful for. If nothing else, we can be grateful for the learning experience.

Since the beginning of this year I have been practicing gratitude more consistently. I’ve been writing down what I’m grateful for and what I am proud of in my journal. I have really noticed an improvement in my levels of Happiness.

List Everything You’re Grateful for

Take a minimum of five minutes and write down everything in your life you’re grateful for. If you’re struggling to think of things, pretend that anything you don’t include will disappear from your life within 24 hours.

Write a “Thank You” Note

Send someone a text, email or even better a handwritten note to say thank you. Tell them how much you appreciate everything they do for you.

Daily Gratitude Practice

Spend some time every day saying thank you for the things you’re grateful for. There are many differing recommendations on how to complete a daily gratitude practice. My personal favourite is taken from Vishen Lakhiani’s Six Phase Meditation. I make a note, either mentally or write it down, of three things I am grateful for in my personal life, three things I am grateful for in my work life, and three achievements or things I am proud of. As you recall the things you’re grateful for, really invoke the feelings you enjoyed in that moment. Ideally use new things every day, but if you get stuck you can fall back on your old favourites.

Gratitude Journal

You could record the things you think about in your daily gratitude practice in a journal. This will help to cement it into your consciousness. You could also look at it regularly to remind yourself of your abundance or look at it if you’re feeling a bit low to shift your state.

Active Gratitude

Also taken from Vishen Lakhiani is my active gratitude practice, which in turn he learned from Joe Vitale. Active gratitude involves slowing down and remembering to be grateful in the moment. Taking time to stop and smell the flowers as the old saying goes. Really savour the moment and soak it up.

Practising gratitude is a key tool for achieving Happiness and reprogramming our brain. Gratitude helps us to focus on the good things in our lives, which in turn attracts more of them. Having a gratitude practice can help us to feel more fulfilled and content, which in turn will lead to feeling Happy on a more regular basis.

What are you grateful for? What does your gratitude practice involve? Let me know in the comments or head on over to the Happiness Club Facebook group.

Ps. If you like this, then you will love my book about Happiness, which will empower people who are fed up with feeling fed up to take action to feel Happier and get what they want. Sign up here to be notified when my book is published.  You’ll also be notified when I have Happy news or write a new blog post about Happiness. All subscribers will receive my free guide Happiness Club for Unlimited Self-Esteem. If you’re in Ipswich, you can also come to my live Happiness Club event.

If you prefer to hear me read this post on YouTube you can do so here How to practice gratitude.