Issue 27: The Gift Of Gratitude
THE LEAP
BY QUANTUM ORANGE
GROW, EXPAND & EVOLVE
ISSUE 27 | THE GIFT OF GRATITUDE
Each week The (Quantum) Leap summarises a key aspect of success into what you need to Think, Feel and Do to create a personal shift.
This is the gift: to have a wonderful capacity to appreciate again and again, freshly and naively, the basic goods of life, with awe, pleasure, wonder, and even ecstasy.
~ Abraham Maslow
THINK
Last week, we talked about the benefits of keeping a gratitude journal. In case you missed it - there are plenty, including reduced symptoms of illness, stronger immune systems, lower blood pressure, better sleep and a minimum 25% increase in happiness levels.
That’s more than enough reason to get on with it, but like all personal growth, the journey to an attitude of gratitude will be individual. And like all great personal habits, journalling can be tricky to stick with when life gets busy.
But no matter how chaotic your schedule gets, gratitude is something that should always be a priority because practising gratitude is one of the most effective ways to create happiness in your life and the lives of others.
It’s also one of the most fundamental spiritual concepts. When you boil it down, gratitude is the decision to remove oneself from the current drama of life and place focus on easily neglected blessings.
Practising gratitude is a spiritual act - it allows you to be who you truly are, instead of being defined by what you own, what you do, where you live or what you’ve achieved.
Gratitude separates you from the physical, mental and emotional world and places you squarely in the centre of your inner life.
The more you practise gratitude, the happier and more spiritual your life will become.
The following exercise is a great way to get gratitude into your daily life without having to carve out twenty minutes to sit down and write. Not only that, the whole family can join in!
Exercise:
Sit down for a meal together without distractions and while you eat, go around the table giving each person the opportunity to share three things they are grateful for today.
Do this every night, no matter who joins you for dinner. If you happen to be eating alone, talk to yourself about the things you’re grateful for.
You can even change up the questions by varying them a little. Here are a few examples to get you started:
- What are you grateful for today?
- What was the best thing that happened to you today?
- What touched you today?
- Who or what inspired you today?
- What made you laugh or smile today?
- List three things you are grateful for about the person sitting next to you.
FEEL
Everything in your life that has stretched you, challenged you, disappointed you or even hurt you has helped you become the person you are today.
It is vital you learn to be grateful not only for the wonderful things in your life, but also for those people and circumstances that have been difficult.
Sit down and make a list of the things you are not grateful for in your life. Once you’ve done that, go back to the top of the list and start looking for ways to reframe your feelings about each item.
Perhaps that person that cut you off in the traffic is actually rushing to the hospital - be grateful you’re not. Maybe the person behind the counter was short with you because they just lost their mother - so smile and ring yours. Or if you’re busier than you’d like, you could be delighted that your life is so full.
Remember - you can always choose gratitude.
DO
Gratitude should be viewed as an investment - small, regular, easily repeatable inputs work most effectively. With that in mind, here are a few ideas you can use to bring small moments of gratitude into your life:
1: Find a quiet place to sit outside in nature. Take ten deep breaths and bring your mind into the present moment. Cultivate deep appreciation for the feeling of the air in your lungs, the breeze on your face, the sun on your back, the shapes of the clouds in the sky, the texture of the grass you’re sitting on, or the chirping birds nearby. Wherever you find yourself, take a few minutes to be grateful for every nuanced part of it.
2: Watch a plane take off and really think about what an amazing thing that is.
3: Play with your dog - feel your hands in its fur and his/her hot breath on your face. Let its enthusiasm and warmth wrap around you and take it in. Get in touch with what it means to you that there is nothing that animal would enjoy more than your undivided love and attention.
4: Get up early and watch the sun rise. Take in the peacefulness of that moment. Watch the colours change as a new day is born. Breathe in and connect with your understanding that you are blessed to have another day here on earth.
5: Sit down with your partner, look them in the eyes and share the things about them you are genuinely grateful for. Be specific and detailed. As you do, let each piece of truth you speak resonate inside you until your heart feels so full it might burst.
6: Do the same with your children.
7: Write a note of thanks to a mentor, coach, teacher, parent or friend – someone who has influenced your life in a positive way. Do not send an email or type this note on your computer - handwritten ‘snail mail’ is much more powerful.
8: Smile. Doing so naturally cultivates gratitude and optimism.
9: Give genuine compliments. Be specific enough your friends and family (or even the stranger on the street!) know you were paying attention and value what you’re referring to.
10: Make your meditation gratitude focused.
11: Be present. It is difficult to be grateful for something you haven’t noticed while you’re staring at your phone.
Read. Watch. Listen.
