BY PJP

MORE GRATITUDE BEGETS GOOD ATTITUDE:

This such an important part of starting a day that will leave you feeling satisfied and content at the end of that day. Merriam-Webster dictionary defines gratitude as simply, yet as complex, as ”the state of being grateful”. Okay, is that an emotion? no. Is it a feeling? not really. I think of it as a ‘way of being’ that is a conscious choice each day as we put our feet to the floor.

Some mantras to encourage gratitude:

I choose to remember the blessing of waking up to a new day filled with opportunities to create a better-version- of myself (Matthew Kelly’s original term).

I choose to live in the moment of today and nurture it as if it was my first and my last.

I choose to pay attention to those around me and provide encouragement and compassion.

I choose to forgive and to be humble.

I choose to appreciate my family and friends and to serve where needed with a smile.

I choose to honor this day, myself, my past, present and open my heart to the future.

Developing a strong gratitude awareness practice can take time and like any other new habit you wish to acquire, you have to CHOSE it and do it everyday, until it becomes a natural part of you. The benefits of more gratitude are stated in many different articles and they include physical, psychological and social benefits. I will end with a quote from Harvard Health Publishing:

“Expressing gratitude helps people feel positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships.”

With gratitude to my readers,

PJP