Can Gratitude Lead to a Stronger Life?

We hear the phrase “be grateful” all the time. We are told from a young age to say to others, thank you for helping or assisting us with something. But have we ever taken the time to consider what it means to be thankful and how cultivating a life of gratitude can change your life for the better? 

We looked up what the word Gratitude means and are sharing two definitions with you. 

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, gratitude is simply “the state of being grateful.”

Harvard Medical School expands on that definition and writes that gratitude is:

“a thankful appreciation for what an individual receives, whether tangible or intangible. With gratitude, people acknowledge the goodness in their lives … As a result, gratitude also helps people connect to something larger than themselves as individuals–whether to other people, nature, or a higher power.” 

So how does gratitude lead us to live a better life? 

1. Gratitude shifts your focus. 

When you develop a gratitude mindset, this helps increase your feelings of positivity and appreciate the things that you have in your life. Working to incorporate daily gratitude into your life, no matter how big or small, can shift your mindset, your focus, increase your self-confidence, and align your perspective into a more well-rounded vision. Gratitude can help you experience happiness, positivity, growth, and joy, and decreases your stress and negativity.

2. Gratitude helps reduce your fears. 

 Studies show that the brain cannot focus on both positive and negative emotions at the same time. By training our minds to focus on our gratitude, we can build a life where we are less likely to jump to fears and anxiety and more attune to concentrate on our positive situations.

3. Gratitude helps you live at peace.

 We can all attest to a time when we felt uncertain or unhappy with how our life was going. We might see how others live and acquire and might think that we don’t quite match up. We might always be thinking about something new to purchase or how we would only be happy if we had the latest gadget trending on Amazon. Unfortunately, as soon as you buy that new gadget, it becomes old and worn, and you think you will find peace again from another purchase, but peace in your life doesn’t come from things; it comes from a mindset shift. That mindset shift is feeling grateful for what you already have. 

Are you wondering how to develop gratitude in your life? We suggest you start a gratitude journal. Cultivating and keeping a record of things that you are thankful for is a great tool to build a better relationship with gratitude and be grateful and content with the things you have in your life. If you write a list every day of a few things you are thankful for and why you are grateful for them, you will be amazed by how your attitude shifts from your state of lack to abundance.