During this time of Thanksgiving, we are reminded to be thankful. As I reflected this morning on all of the things that I am thankful for (see my list at the bottom of this page), an air of fulfillment washed over me. Suddenly, all of the items on my “to do” list drifted away, as I was reminded that my joy and contentment are not contingent upon those things getting done (or not), but dependent upon me experiencing the true essence of my life each and every single day.
The true essence of being alive is reflected to me when I genuinely express gratitude. The acceptance and ease that comes over me in these moments of non-distraction and presence is my lifeblood. Unlike celebration of accomplishments or lamentation of losses and failures, this essence is not contingent upon changes in the external world. This essence is always there; one simply needs to express genuine gratitude to access it.
There have been numerous scientific studies on Gratitude and how it contributes to happiness and health. In The Happiness Advantage, Shawn Achor shares with us just how this simple act of being grateful has measurable effects on an individual’s overall well-being:
“…studies have shown that consistently grateful people are more energetic, emotionally intelligent, forgiving and less likely to be depressed, anxious, or lonely. And it’s not that people are only grateful because they’re happier, either; gratitude has proven to be a significant cause of positive outcomes. When researches pick random volunteers and train them to be more grateful over a period of a few weeks, they become happier and more optimistic, feel more socially connected, enjoy better quality sleep, and even experience fewer headaches than control groups.”
–Shawn Achor, The Happiness Advantage, 2010
(To see Shawn’s inspirational TED talk, click here)
According to the research, writing down specific things that we are thankful for is effective in changing the brain to notice the positive more than the negative. I would like to share with you this practice of 3 Gratitudes…This practice was not developed by me, but guides me always…
(Below is an excerpt from my book – Wake Up! You’re Alive, But Are You Living)
Nurture the mindset of abundance and connect with a force larger than yourself.
Gratitude helps us remain humble. When we express our gratitude to something bigger than ourselves (I often use the Universe, some may use God), we nurture the belief that we, as well as our achievements and contributions, are vehicles of a greater connective force that drives all of existence. Expressing gratitude for the pieces of our existence that bring us joy and ascribing these phenomena to a source both within and greater than ourselves reminds us each day that our life is an incredible gift, one to be maximized and not taken lightly.
The Practice: Take time at the end of each day to write down three things that you appreciate, are thankful for, or that went well that day. Ask yourself, what’s going well in my life? Be specific. After you write down your gratitudes, close your eyes and express thanks to the greater connective force that ultimately makes this all possible.
Tip: This practice is especially powerful during difficult times. Noticing glimpses of positivity can pull us out of the scarcity mindset and into a mindset of abundance (as defined in Chapter One).
For more transformative daily practices like this one, order my Self-Care Guide (click here).
With the end of 2015 in sight, I wanted to share a glimpse of my Gratitude List for this past year:
What’s on your Gratitude List?
Allie Andrews is the Founder and Program Director at OmBody Health. She is a Certified Health Coach and self-care advocate and author. Allie and her team have been transforming employee wellbeing since 2014. Learn more.