expanding the conversation
We live in a society where what we lack is highlighted every single day, leading to us always desiring something more. This mindset that we are never fully satisfied because there is always the capability of having more can lead to anxiety, frustration, anger, and low self-esteem, none of which are healthy. They can, in fact be factors of mental health disorders. Our world is so obsessed with what we don’t have that sometimes we end up ignoring everything that we do– and for this reason, I want to expand the conversation on the importance of gratitude.
Gratitude has the ability to heal past hurts and give hope for the future. Gratitude is a very universal topic that can include everyone in the conversation. Gratitude allows you to look at life as a gift, as opposed to a burden. Having a sense of appreciation for who and what is around you positively affects every action and goal you aim to achieve in your life. Having gratitude throughout the experiences you face in your life leads to more functional and positive outcomes.
Gratitude is very complex; there is a difference between the short-term emotion of gratitude and actually being grateful. Only the ones who look at life through a grateful focus – and use it as a tool for a way of life as opposed to an occasional use – will be able to experience these life-enhancing effects that gratitude brings. For this reason, attitude is a huge component in being able to use gratitude to ones’ advantage. One who is grateful does not deny that there is bad in the world, but instead recognizes that life as a whole is good. Your mind is a powerful tool, and whatever you feed it, is what it will become.
“What you think, you become.
What you feel, you attract.
What you imagine, you create.”