8 Ways To Happiness - Part 5

Gratitude

Stop for a moment and think of someone in your life that you’re grateful for. Have someone in mind? Now really focus on that person. What do you appreciate about them? What specifically do you really like about them? Think of nothing else but your gratitude for having them in your life and what you appreciate about them. Close your eyes and focus on what you love about them.

Now, how did you feel when you did that? Felt pretty good, didn’t it? When we focus on our appreciation and gratitude for the things and people in our lives, we encourage our own awareness and happiness.

“Earth is crammed with heaven.”
- Elizabeth Barrett Browning.

Gratitude is one of those characteristics that is almost always present when feeling happy. What you focus on becomes more impactful in your life. Make gratitude a larger aspect of your thoughts. You can end the pain by simply changing your focus.

Try an experiment. Take 10 minutes of your time and make a list of all the things you're truly thankful for in your life. The things you appreciate and are really grateful for. Stay away from the “I should be grateful for this” type of items and stick with only those things that in your heart you feel thankful for. Then notice how you feel afterwards. You'll be surprised.

If you're not in the habit of experiencing or expressing appreciation, you may have to set notes around your home to help remind you. If you keep a journal you may want to list one thing you feel grateful for every day. When I was first doing this I found myself actively looking for things to appreciate. After a while, it became second nature to me.