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| photo source http://nature.desktopnexus.com This blog entry will speak about the benefits of Gratitude |
Gratitude, appreciation or thankfulness is a positive emotion or attitude in acknowledgement of a benefit that one has received or will receive. Sourced from Hoyt's New Cyclopedia of Practical Quotations.
This I believe sums up what it is we mean by using the word Gratitude, it can be as large or as small as you are welling to make it.
I intend to start with a challenge of being in a state of gratitude each day for 21 days, I have chosen this length of time as they say that it takes three weeks to change a habit, and I am wanting to make this a habit that will take place in my life on a daily basis. Seeing things, situations, people in a grateful way is something I have always done however it is adhoc dependant on the circumstances I am in, where I am wishing to make a special space each day to sit and reflect purposefully on what I am grateful for including those days when life seems to have thrown you challenges and difficulties.
As I like to do things in three's I will be finding three things each day to be in gratitude of however I will only be talking in length on one of those three things in the blog. They say it is of great benefit to share your gratitude with a partner, friend etc if you are on your own saying them out loud is equally as good as in speaking the words reinforces the intention and the feeling will spread. So thank you for being my partner and allowing the intention to grow.
There is an old saying that if you've forgotten the language of gratitude, you'll never be on speaking words with happiness. This is true to the extent that your happiness will be expanded by the simple sharing of your thankfulness. Gratitude is contagious so spread it throughout your circle of friends and family and everyone will benefit.
I just love this diagram from http://happierhuman.com/benefits-of-gratitude/ which shows us the benefits of gratitude on all levels of our lives, they also offer a free 44 page happiness report if you like the information on their site.
In this day and age of busy lives I think the sleep benefit is one of the most important health benefits from bring grateful. You will sleep longer, fall asleep faster and wake in the morning feeling fresher. When we are sleeping our body is completing numerous tasks to ensure we are the healthiest we can be from daily maintenance and healing to correctly chemical imbalances, improving our immune system to fight disease to storing energy for when we need it.
Keeping a journal for your gratitudes is also immensely helpful. It can start with only one sentence about the thing or things you are grateful for if you are going to choose three like me. Keeping the journal will make your feel more optimistic and happier. For those who enjoy craft you may wish to scrapbook your journal adding your artistic flair and enhancing the intensity of your gratitude yet again.
Your partners, family and friends will notice the difference in you so don't be at all surprised if someone comments that you seem happier etc. What a confirmation this is that we are truly in touch with our true essence when others can see it when we have not shared what it is we are doing.
Even in the face of tremendous loss or tragedy it is possible to feel gratitude. Adversity can actually increase gratitude as you see things from a different perspective. It is at these times that some of the smallest things are magnified for us to see more clearly. Taking yourself into this gratitude mode at these times will allow more balance to integrate into your soul and healing will occur.
As Martha Washington said "I am still determined to be cheerful and happy, in whatever situation I may be; for I have also learned from experience that the greater part of our happiness or misery depends upon our dispositions, and not upon our circumstances."
When on the receiving end of gratitude if you are being thanked for your help from someone we can sometimes feel uneasy or unsure how to reciprocate. It seems that for a lot of us it is much easier to give than to receive, I am also one of those people, our gift is in accepting the thanks in what ever form it comes with graciousness and let the people know you appreciate being thanked. That is all we need to do. When we are unable to do this we deny the giver of the gratitude the gifts they receive in being able to express this gratitude. (This is not what we would want to do it is just our own uncomfortableness gets in the road and we think ourselves unworthy of the praise etc)
As I have spent so much time on this entry going into the benefits of gratitude which we must understand to really embrace this process, I will just do an alphabetic listing of things we are able to be grateful for. I hope that this may encourage you to join me in the 21 days of gratitude and we can expand our happiness together.
A = Ambition used to acheive our goals
B = Birds, watching their flight and listening to their song
C = Clouds watching and looking for the pictures in the shapes
D = Dogs the unconditional love that only they can give
E = Ego peace within yourself experiencing true identity "Cosmic Ego"
F = Friends who make life so joyous
G = Google allowing so much knowledge to be at our fingers
H = Health without it we are limited
I = Ideas the possibility can then become the reality
J = Joy to truly express happiness without limitation
K = Kindness we all need help and understanding at times
L = Love it is all that is, self love, love of others
M = Music the ability to transport us to other places and times
N = Nourishment sustains us in mind, body and spirit
O = Openness in our vulnerability lies our strength
P = Peace within the world and internally
Q = Quietness in the stillness lies the answers
R = Respect we deserve nothing else
S = Serendipity nothing happens by accident
T = Trust our growth lies in the acknowledgement of our truth
U = Universe the great mother earth who sustains all
V - Vitality a capacity to live, grow and develop
W = Wealth we all have it - it does not have to be financial
X = Xmas and holidays to enjoy with family and friends
Y = Youthfulness not our age our attitude
Z = Zest to have enjoyment for life itself
Personally today I am grateful for:
- Modern technology allowing me to create this blog
- Inspiration giving me the drive to step up and be seen
- Time allowing me to have the space to create my inspired dream
What are you grateful for today?
This I believe sums up what it is we mean by using the word Gratitude, it can be as large or as small as you are welling to make it.
I intend to start with a challenge of being in a state of gratitude each day for 21 days, I have chosen this length of time as they say that it takes three weeks to change a habit, and I am wanting to make this a habit that will take place in my life on a daily basis. Seeing things, situations, people in a grateful way is something I have always done however it is adhoc dependant on the circumstances I am in, where I am wishing to make a special space each day to sit and reflect purposefully on what I am grateful for including those days when life seems to have thrown you challenges and difficulties.
As I like to do things in three's I will be finding three things each day to be in gratitude of however I will only be talking in length on one of those three things in the blog. They say it is of great benefit to share your gratitude with a partner, friend etc if you are on your own saying them out loud is equally as good as in speaking the words reinforces the intention and the feeling will spread. So thank you for being my partner and allowing the intention to grow.
There is an old saying that if you've forgotten the language of gratitude, you'll never be on speaking words with happiness. This is true to the extent that your happiness will be expanded by the simple sharing of your thankfulness. Gratitude is contagious so spread it throughout your circle of friends and family and everyone will benefit.
I just love this diagram from http://happierhuman.com/benefits-of-gratitude/ which shows us the benefits of gratitude on all levels of our lives, they also offer a free 44 page happiness report if you like the information on their site.
In this day and age of busy lives I think the sleep benefit is one of the most important health benefits from bring grateful. You will sleep longer, fall asleep faster and wake in the morning feeling fresher. When we are sleeping our body is completing numerous tasks to ensure we are the healthiest we can be from daily maintenance and healing to correctly chemical imbalances, improving our immune system to fight disease to storing energy for when we need it.
Keeping a journal for your gratitudes is also immensely helpful. It can start with only one sentence about the thing or things you are grateful for if you are going to choose three like me. Keeping the journal will make your feel more optimistic and happier. For those who enjoy craft you may wish to scrapbook your journal adding your artistic flair and enhancing the intensity of your gratitude yet again.
Your partners, family and friends will notice the difference in you so don't be at all surprised if someone comments that you seem happier etc. What a confirmation this is that we are truly in touch with our true essence when others can see it when we have not shared what it is we are doing.
Even in the face of tremendous loss or tragedy it is possible to feel gratitude. Adversity can actually increase gratitude as you see things from a different perspective. It is at these times that some of the smallest things are magnified for us to see more clearly. Taking yourself into this gratitude mode at these times will allow more balance to integrate into your soul and healing will occur.
As Martha Washington said "I am still determined to be cheerful and happy, in whatever situation I may be; for I have also learned from experience that the greater part of our happiness or misery depends upon our dispositions, and not upon our circumstances."
When on the receiving end of gratitude if you are being thanked for your help from someone we can sometimes feel uneasy or unsure how to reciprocate. It seems that for a lot of us it is much easier to give than to receive, I am also one of those people, our gift is in accepting the thanks in what ever form it comes with graciousness and let the people know you appreciate being thanked. That is all we need to do. When we are unable to do this we deny the giver of the gratitude the gifts they receive in being able to express this gratitude. (This is not what we would want to do it is just our own uncomfortableness gets in the road and we think ourselves unworthy of the praise etc)
As I have spent so much time on this entry going into the benefits of gratitude which we must understand to really embrace this process, I will just do an alphabetic listing of things we are able to be grateful for. I hope that this may encourage you to join me in the 21 days of gratitude and we can expand our happiness together.
A = Ambition used to acheive our goals
B = Birds, watching their flight and listening to their song
C = Clouds watching and looking for the pictures in the shapes
D = Dogs the unconditional love that only they can give
E = Ego peace within yourself experiencing true identity "Cosmic Ego"
F = Friends who make life so joyous
G = Google allowing so much knowledge to be at our fingers
H = Health without it we are limited
I = Ideas the possibility can then become the reality
J = Joy to truly express happiness without limitation
K = Kindness we all need help and understanding at times
L = Love it is all that is, self love, love of others
M = Music the ability to transport us to other places and times
N = Nourishment sustains us in mind, body and spirit
O = Openness in our vulnerability lies our strength
P = Peace within the world and internally
Q = Quietness in the stillness lies the answers
R = Respect we deserve nothing else
S = Serendipity nothing happens by accident
T = Trust our growth lies in the acknowledgement of our truth
U = Universe the great mother earth who sustains all
V - Vitality a capacity to live, grow and develop
W = Wealth we all have it - it does not have to be financial
X = Xmas and holidays to enjoy with family and friends
Y = Youthfulness not our age our attitude
Z = Zest to have enjoyment for life itself
Personally today I am grateful for:
- Modern technology allowing me to create this blog
- Inspiration giving me the drive to step up and be seen
- Time allowing me to have the space to create my inspired dream
What are you grateful for today?
2 comments:
Firstly, congratulations Lee-Anne on a lovely page. I wish to share my gratitude for being able to provide a beautiful space for others to learn and grow together and for the friendships that have grown from the Goddess Grove. Blessed Be. xx
Hi Sue Thank you, the space you provide and hold at Goddess Grove is a blessing to so many sistas. It supplies information for growth, nurturing and support of which I am forever grateful and allows me to sit in grace so for me it has been one of life's many blessings.
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