by Nancy Robbins
The Power of Gratitude is the power of positive focus – it is a perspective. Gratitude is appreciation, and accepting with joy. In a state of gratitude, we affirm that life is good and has elements that make it worth living. We recognize the goodness in our lives and how it came to us. Gratitude helps you keep your focus on the positive in your life, and this generates and magnetizes more goodness in your life in the form of physical and psychological health, better relationships, and places you in a joyful state of appreciation of your blessings. Gratitude needs to be placed into action with reflective thought and heartfelt emotion.
There are many things on the surface that we can be grateful for – our employment, our home, our family, our health and life. This is a good time to dig deeper in acknowledging simple everyday pleasures that may go unnoticed – such as playing with your pet, a stranger’s kindness, laughter with a friend, a great book, a beautiful flower, or sunshine. What are the little joys that can be added up to enrich your day?
Activities of Gratitude:
Here are some activities to help you reflect on the goodness in your life:
- Create a gratitude list or journal of the goodness, blessings, and joys in your life. Review it daily and keep it updated.
- It’s time to thank the people that make a positive difference in your life. Write a letter of gratitude to these people.
- Besides a letter, you can make a phone call or a physical visit to the people you wish to thank for their positive contribution to your life.
- Write affirmations of your gratefulness that you can repeat daily to keep the power of gratitude active.
- Reflect on quotes of gratitude and keep some that really speak to you in handy view as a reminder.
Affirmations of Gratitude:
- I am open to things working out for me. I am open to receiving abundance. I am open to connecting with my highest self.
- I am eternally grateful for all of the blessings I have in my life.
- I am happy and grateful for everythingI have and receive daily.
- I constantly remind myself to enjoy all the good I have in my life right now.
- I express deep appreciation for the small steps I achieve each day.
- With every breath I take, I am bringing more and more gratitude into my life.
- Today, I will concentrate on taking one step forward, however small.
- My life is meaningful and important; I am a valuable contributor to the greater good.
Here are some quotes of Gratitude for reflection:
“Today, I choose to live with gratitude for the love that fills my heart, the peace that rests within my spirit, and the voice of hope that says all things are possible.”— Anonymous
“It’s not happiness that brings us gratitude. It’s gratitude that brings us happiness.” — Anonymous
“Gratitude is the ability to experience life as a gift. It liberates us from the prison of self-occupation. We see ourselves living in a more loving and generous world – which we can then reflect to others.”
“The power of finding beauty in the humblest thing makes the home happy and life lovely.” Louisa May Alcott
“Appreciation is a wonderful thing. It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well.” Voltaire
“Gratitude opens the door to the power, the wisdom, the creativity of the universe. You open the door through gratitude.” Deepak Chopra
“The more you practice the art of thankfulness, the more you have to be thankful for.” Norman Vincent Peale
“Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy, they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.” Marcel Proust
“Gratitude, like faith, is a muscle. The more you use it, the stronger it grows, and the more power you have to use it on your behalf. If you do not practice gratefulness, its benefaction will go unnoticed, and your capacity to draw on its gifts will be diminished. To be grateful is to find blessings in everything. This is the most powerful attitude to adopt, for there are blessings in everything.”— Alan Cohen
“Gratitude is the most exquisite form of courtesy.” Jacques Mautain
“Gratitude is one of the most powerful human emotions. Once expressed, it changes attitude, brightens outlook, and broadens our perspective.” Germany Kent
“Gratitude is riches. Complaint is poverty.” Doris Day
“Joy is the simplest form of gratitude.” Kari Barth
“When we focus on our gratitude, the tide of disappointment goes out and the tide of love rushes in.” Kristen Armstrong
“Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance.” Eckhart Tolle
“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorns have roses.” Alphonse Karr
“What separates privilege from entitlement is gratitude.” Brene Brown
“Gratitude is a powerful catalyst for happiness. It’s the spark that lights a fire of joy in your soul.” Amy Collette
“Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” William Arthur Ward
“The struggle ends when gratitude begins.”— Neale Donald Walsch
“Things must be felt with the heart.”— Helen Keller
“Through the eyes of gratitude, everything is a miracle.”— Mary Davis
“The roots of all goodness lie in the soil of appreciation for goodness.”— Dalai Lama