Gratitude helps you fall in love with the life you already have

This quote reminds me of a moment 20 years ago. Back then, I studied Social Work. At that time, things were not going very well for me. I was not feeling well and felt depressed. I was young and very insecure.

During a creative therapy class I told a fellow student about how I was feeling. I have lost her full response, but one piece of advice I remember well: “Then you should give thanks.”

I thought 'Why not' and so I went to the restroom. On the toilet, I prayed and told God everything I was thankful for.

I came back to the classroom as a different person. It seemed as if a curtain had opened and light came in. I fell in love with the life I already had.

No, not an easy fix for if you suffer from depression, have a burn out or are seriously ill. And gratitude doesn't solve famine or war either.

For me, this memory has always stayed with me. Practicing gratitude has proven to be a powerful tool for me to turn a negative perspective into a positive one. A viable strategy to get a positive mindset.

Gratitude is an attitude of appreciation under any circumstance. By practicing gratitude I experience having a choice. A choice how I look at my situation and how I deal with it. It brings me back to the moment, to the now. It makes me powerful and capable.

And my experience is not exceptional. When you practice gratitude, you experience mental, physical, and relational benefits. Expressing gratitude on a regular basis is scientifically proven to improve mental and physical health, sleep, relationships, self-esteem, and more. Reason enough to start today.

There are many different ways to practice gratitude.

My way is to pray and tell God what I am thankful for. To write down where I am grateful for and to read it again after a while.

Recently I heard of a wonderful way to practice gratitude as a family. This family uses a gratitude jar. A few days a week every family member writes down one thing he is grateful for and puts it into the jar. Periodically throughout the year, they take a paper or two out of the jar and read it aloud.

Other people use a gratitude journal or regularly write thank you notes to others.

What is your experience in practicing gratitude?