The Power of Gratefulness

All of us want to be happy. However, there is a misconception that successful people are happy. The truth is that grateful people are happy.

Think about a successful person you know with so much stuff yet they are still unhappy and forever seeking another car or house. In reality, I’ve met some of the happiest people in the poorest places I have ever visited.

Gratefulness is free and results in a happier existence. 

Gratefulness costs nothing; you can’t buy or store it away for future needs. It’s a constant, purposeful feeling that you practice capturing. When you consistently practice being grateful, you’ll find that you are happier, more content, and more worldly than ever before. Someone once said, “When we change our view of the world, our world view changes.” Gratefulness can change our world view for the better.

Why Should You Practice Gratefulness?

Scientific research has shown that daily gratitude will make you happier. It can also increase the accomplishment of goals. But how?

Improve Physical Health: Gratitude can actually make you physically healthier. In a study on heart attack patients, those who exhibited gratitude recovered faster and were in better health six months afterward.

Improve Mood: In another recent study, those who wrote down what they were grateful for 10 weeks experienced improved optimism and generally felt better about their lives.

How to Become More Grateful

The key to sustaining gratefulness is through practicing it every day. 

Here at OAK Journal, we believe that bookending your day with gratitude is the best way to consistently practice and realize happiness.

Self-Reflection: Think of the people and things you’re grateful for and mindfully appreciate them once a week.

Thank You Notes: Write and send a thank you note to people you’re grateful for.

Journaling: Take 5-10 minutes everyday and jot down the things you’re most grateful for that day.

Call Someone: Call someone you care about and tell them why.

Whether you practice gratefulness through walking, meditating, conversing with a partner, or journaling, the pillars are the same. You need to actively think about the things, places, people, and ideas for which you are grateful. The frequency and consistency of this mindfulness can transform you into a better “super” human.

Gratitude is a key part of spiritual evolution. TRUST that everything life brings you is a gift, even the bad days. Because without fear, conflict, and anxiety we have only creativity, freedom and joy.

You can always choose your response. Make it a grateful one.