Gratitude is a state of mind that fuels abundance, spreads kindness, heals difficult emotions, and promotes peace.

It is the master cure for all of life's curveballs and not-so-good circumstances. You may ask yourself, "How can finding gratitude solve my problems? If I find gratitude in a situation I don't like, doesn't that mean I'm accepting it?"

Gratitude is simply finding appreciation for what has happened, what you have, and who you are. Finding gratitude in sticky situations won't necessarily solve the problem right there and then, but it will shift your perspective.

Let's say that you're on your way to an important meeting at work, but on the commute, there is a massive traffic jam which causes you to be 20 minutes late for your meeting. You have two options here:

1. Be angry and complain about the traffic on the road. Now you're late to a very important work meeting, so now you don't have time to stop to get your morning coffee, and now you have a caffeine headache and so on and so on - you get the point. OR

2. Appreciate what you have at the moment. You have a car to drive you to work, you have a job to drive to, you have money to fuel your car and buy morning coffee. Then ask yourself: "What did this teach me?" and "What happened because of this?"

So you're 20 minutes late for your meeting...are you going to get in that much trouble over something you had no control over? Maybe you showed up to your meeting, and nothing happened at all. Everything was normal. 

Gratitude is about shifting your perspective and finding peace when you need it the most.

Why is gratitude so important? 

Gratitude earns its importance for many reasons, but here are some ways that gratitude can bring you peace and comfort:

Gratitude shifts your focus. 

Like in the traffic jam example, finding gratitude in every moment shifts your focus to the good things you already have. It also allows you to find appreciation for people, things, or situations you otherwise wouldn't have thought of. Like, how many times a day do you think about your car and how grateful you are for it? Probably not a lot. It helps you dig deep and really find appreciation for your life in ways you wouldn't usually think. 

Gratitude improves your quality of life. 

Finding gratitude in every moment of your life, whether it's big or small, makes you feel better. You start to notice and appreciate things around you that you might have taken for granted. You begin to realize that you have everything you'll ever need right now because you don't need anything outside of you to make you happy. When you wake up grateful for another day and go to sleep thankful for the memories of that day, you'll see that there is so much to appreciate in life. Even if you don't like your current circumstances, there is always something to be grateful for. 

Gratitude improves your relationships. 

Expressing gratitude is so kind because many people go throughout their lives never being shown appreciation. When you love someone and care about them, it's good to show them gratitude. Firstly, it shows them how you really feel about them, and it builds trust and strengthens your connection. And secondly, it's just nice to hear kind words from people you love and reaffirm your relationship with one another. 

Gratitude helps you recover from stress or negative emotions. 

Gratitude can transform your emotions during difficult times. In times of stress or chaos, you can find gratitude amidst the stress. Everything happens for a reason, and everything helps you grow. When you're stressed out, finding gratitude in the situation or in something else shifts the way you're feeling. It instantly raises your vibration. Your mind shifts thoughts which shifts your emotions which places you in a better feeling state. 

Gratitude can be expressed in many different ways. And the more grateful you are for yourself and your life, the more you'll attract things that make you feel good. 

Here are 5 ways to show gratitude every day: 

1. Morning gratitude

As soon as you open your eyes in the morning, express gratitude for another day. If you woke up today, it means you still have things to do in this lifetime. And your time on Earth is finite, so show up every day with appreciation.

2. Gratitude list 

In the morning or at night (whenever you feel like journaling), make a list of 3 things you are grateful for that happened that day. Whether it was an amazing day or an okay day, there are at least 3 things that made you feel good. Focus on those and watch them grow. 

3. Spend time in nature  

Nature is so healing. When you step outside or go for a walk, look around at the beauty in front of you. Nature isn't greedy or critical. It exists and just is. And there's so much of it! The abundance of trees, grass, bugs, birds, water, wind, and leaves proves how abundant life is. You just have to take a moment to appreciate what the Earth provides. 

4. Remember the bad

Take some time to remember everything you've been through that felt terrible. Everything that hurt you angered you, set you back, blocked you, and left you had made you the person you are today. If those things didn't happen, who knows where you'd be right now. Everything that happens in your life serves a purpose, and when you go with it instead of resisting it or bashing it, the easier life flows. 

5. Be present

This moment right now is the only time you're ever guaranteed. You can't change the past, and you don't know what'll happen in the future. The present moment is the only thing you can really control. Remember that you have this moment and think about how you're spending your time. All of your little present moments are what create your future. And when you're grateful for your present, the Universe will give you more things to be grateful for in the future. 

Gratitude is the most important practice. It separates those who are happy with what they have and those who are always miserable. Gratitude shifts your focus and allows you to appreciate what you have in your life. That's why it's so important to find gratitude in every moment of your life - big or small, good or bad. 

Love,

Sangeetha