Photo: Nathan Dumlao | Unsplash
By BIS Contributor Coach Ana Loi
I sit in my living room, holding my laptop on my legs, surrounded by trees, and my beautiful dog is at my feet. I have a gorgeous view of the City. It is fall and the air is crisp.
I gather my thoughts and notice my emotional state: content, calm and peaceful. As I start writing about gratitude, I realize, it is exactly how I feel today. I have so many blessings in my life and countless reasons to give thanks.
Experiencing gratitude positively impacts both your mental and emotional state and your ability to achieve the life you want.
Gratitude can be described as personality strength—the ability to be keenly aware of the good things that happen to you and never take these good things for granted.
Not so long ago, I would wake up, dress up in beautiful clothes, spray on a delicious perfume, get a cup of coffee, and run—never paying attention to the blue sky, to the warm feeling of the sun on my shoulders or the sound of the wind; until one day…
On this day an older lady was trying to cross the street with her walker and no one would stop for her to cross.
I stopped the car, got out, looked at her, and said: “Let’s go, I am here with you.”
She smiled. I helped her cross the street and as I began walking back to my car she said, “Wait!”
I looked at her. She grabbed my hands and said, “I am grateful for you in my life today. You made my day happy as I felt loved by a stranger”.
At that moment, the world was only a smile full of gratitude. I came back to my car, and as I was driving I felt different. Something shifted in me.
The word gratitude was with me the whole day as was the peaceful happy face of the lady.
Beginning that day I was willing to change; to start my day in a different way. I began to pay attention to my surroundings, to really feel and show gratitude for all things in my life, including nature, health, relationships—everything!
And so my life changed. I noticed, over time, a real change in the whole trajectory of my life. I found that my efforts to create the career I desired and to have a satisfying life were increasingly successful. I began to experience the positive impact of approaching my life with a focus on gratitude. I found that feeling gratitude each day for many things changed my entire world—and this gave me even more to be grateful for.
Practicing Gratitude
I’d love to share with you some ways to start practicing gratitude to improve your well-being since this will improve your quality of life and bring you more happiness.
- Keep a gratitude journal.
At the end of each day, write down 5 things from the day you feel grateful for. - Take the time to share your feelings; your heartfelt emotions.
Tell your loved ones how their support and sense of humor help you get through tough times, and how much it means to you. Let them know how much you love them and why. - Look for what is right about a situation, not what’s wrong.
Do this even when you are frustrated by the challenges of your day; thankfully you have an amazing life. When service at the restaurant is poor, feel how lucky you are to afford an evening out surrounded by good friends. - Go for a walk in nature.
Look around you, feel the air, and breathe gratitude for Mother Nature. - Say thank you for a good meal.
- Talk to your Mother (even if she is not with you).
Let her know how grateful you are for the life she gave you.
One of the marvelous things about gratitude is that it has no upper limit!
At least as far as I can tell. You can be as grateful as you want to be. And what better time to start than this week?
Writing fills my heart with gratitude and joy! What are you grateful for today?
Coach Ana
