I wanted to talk about this subject in this blog as it is something I feel must be remembered now more than ever, with the way the economy is and how accessible everything seems to be, the more we have the more we want.

I have been practising gratefulness in the mornings for a few years now and was first introduced the concept by a mindfulness guru. I have to say it really is transformational when you commit to practising daily. I’m hoping I can share a bit about how it works and why.

Studies have shown that practising gratefulness will increase joyful feelings and that the two impact on each other. I think we live in a want, want, want mentality quite a bit of the time and that this has been a bit of a habit we fall into…more is not always better or fulfilling.

Looking at social media and thinking I want that new iPhone, I want that pair of trainers. Sometimes I even catch myself thinking “ooh! I need that for”
Or looking at other people and thinking “I wish I had that sort of money’ “they’re so lucky” “if only I had what they had”

Sound familiar? Yes well, you’re not alone I think we can all agree that this is a trap we all fall into. Practising gratefulness is the polar opposite of this I want mentality. Here is how you do it.

Today I am grateful for………………………………….

It doesn’t matter how small it is the important thing is developing the feeling of being grateful. Here is mine for today

Today I am grateful for the sunshine and how it makes me feel.

Other examples:

Today I am grateful for my health…..my family…….my job…….my food……..my kind friend.

Stop for a minute and practice this for yourself. Notice how your body feels when you say this statement. How do you feel? Do you feel lighter, brighter?

Maybe you could keep a grateful journal or say it out loud every morning in the shower. I do mine when I brush my teeth, it reminds me to stop and take a min to be grateful before I start my day.
It’s simple yet effective, and you will find the more you do this yourself, the more you will penetrate this to others, your children, your spouse….your soul. It makes a difference when you sit and chat with a friend about positives with a smile than talking about negatives with a frown- it will radiate from within.

Try this, and make it become part of your day, stop and smell the coffee. Speaking of which I think it’s time for that now….