Tis’ the Season to Be Grateful!
Do you count your blessings or take them for granted? Do you know how gratitude or its absence affects your health?
I want to share with you one of one of the most powerful and enduring healing practices that I can share with you is the practice of gratitude.
What are the blessings in your life? I’m sure there are many that you probably not aware of. How often do you count your blessings? And why should you do so regularly?
Gratitude is one of the healing, healthiest things you can do to improve your health.
While there are multiple definitions of gratitude, I use it and appreciation interchangeably. Gratitude, by any definition, enhances our sense of well-being, improves the body’s level of functioning.
Gratitude focuses on the positive aspects of life and helps to ease our tendency to focus on what we don’t like or want in our lives.
It is an expression of love and can improve physical and emotional health, while making life sweeter and easier.
It also makes us happier and far more resistant to the toxic emotions that fuel stress, such as envy, anger, resentment and regret. If we do experience stress, gratitude blunts and buffers its impact.
When we are grateful, we have greater peace of mind and can solve problems better and more easily make decisions.
According to one study, expressing gratitude to other is good for both people involved. It can powerfully uplift a relationship stuck in negativity, shifting the focus from what is wrong to what is right and leading to a more positive and healthier connection.
We are often unaware of the full power and meaning of our relationships. In the midst of our busy, hectic lives, we often forget and overlook the significance of the people whose presence adds meaning to our lives.
Sharing your gratitude with them is a key ingredient in the development and sustaining of our relationships.
So this holiday season, I hope you’ll join me in sharing the gift of gratitude with your circle of loved ones!
- Make an extra effort to share your gratitude with your loved ones-a card, a phone call, a few kind words face to face (make it as personal as possible).
- Keep a gratitude journal. Write down three new blessings every day (you may think it’s hard—trust me, it’s very easy—just open your mind)
Source:
SuperHealing: Engaging Your Mind, Body and Spirit to Create Optimal Health and Well-Being (pages 188-189)