We hear a lot about gratitude these days. I think most of us kind of know what gratitude is, right? It’s about being happy with what we have or maybe happy with the cool stuff around us? Maybe?
I think having gratitude is about being in the moment and being honestly pleased to be there. We get so involved with our phones and other media, we forget that life is happening all around us. Our daily life includes interactions with other people, eating, exercising, sleeping, working and various other activities. We are so involved with all of these things that we often forget to stop and notice life. We don’t see the beauty of our life, the kindness of people, the good feelings within us when we eat a nice meal or have a good workout. We are busy doing the next thing.
Recent studies have shown that gratitude is likely a culturally learned behavior (Harriman, 2020). Our natural state would be to be self-serving and focused on our own outcome. However, when we experience others behaving generously with us, we tend to feel we can be generous with others. This cycle within a community can be contagious.
Be a trend setter and notice the good in your life and share your joy and gratitude with others. An easy way to start is just to notice three things, right this moment, that you like. It can be anything, from the fit of your shoes to the color of the sky, anything that makes you happy. Those things are gratitude, share that joy and your mood will likely lighten and you are helping others with their own gratitude.
Harriman, P. (2020, January 6). Grudges before gratitude. Retrieved January 25, 2020, from https://news.uci.edu/2020/01/06/grudges-before-gratitude/
