I believe today is more important than ever to cultivate gratitude. We are surrounded with so much negativity daily and bringing more positive energy within can be healing. You may wonder what gratitude is and why we should articulate it. Gratitude is an expression or acknowledgement of what has been given to us. Psychology research shows that gratitude can improve health and create greater positive emotions. By expressing gratitude, we can better deal with adversity, have courage to face challenges and gain perspective. Gratefulness is a choice. A way to give and the ability to receive what has been given to us. 

I have a friend who wrote in a daily journal what she felt grateful for over thirty days. She had been going through a tough time and wanted to focus on the good in her life rather than the worry, stress, and unhappiness she had been experiencing. Once started, she made it public by posting her thoughts of gratitude on social media each day. Now think about this for a moment. Can you name thirty things you claim appreciativeness for and the reasons for your feeling? I can imagine you can come up with some ideas at first, but can you go deeper and state the reasons? I believe many of you will say you are thankful for your faith, family, friends, pets, or career. All important reasons in life to express appreciation. But when it comes right down to it, are you truly thankful and do you find depth to your feelings? 

So often we pass through this world not realizing what we have and how fortunate we are. We have expectations and don’t see how the smallest thing can bring us joy. There are moments in life we take for granted and then moments that bring us clarity. Life doesn’t wait for anything or anyone. It’s fleeting and in constant motion. You can lose a loved one, experience failure or success, lose everything or win big, but life does not stop. What we do from the moment of birth to the day we die is important. There is a poem called The Dash, by Linda Ellis. The poem is about the dash between the dates on the gravestone; the date born and the date of death. The dash represents an entire life and how that person lived. The poem reminds us that our material processions are not important, but how we lived, loved and spent our time. Those moments of time are significant. We have an opportunity to reach out to the world and do things that will make a difference. Our experiences, knowledge, heartaches, hardships, loves, losses, successes, and achievements can strengthen us. It’s a choice taken every day. Choose to appreciate the people around you and live a life in accordance with your values and ideals. We should savor all the joys, sorrows, happiness and sadness we experience every day. We should appreciate our life and all that happens around it because life does not stop but continues. 

Do you feel passionate about your life? Do you see how much you have, and do you share with others how grateful you are? I challenge you to write each day one thing you have gratitude for and why. Do you think it may change the way you think? Or how it could influence your day? Don’t misunderstand; negative things can still happen in your life. But you may find expressing your thankfulness daily can help with perspective. It may assist you when setbacks occur. Focusing on the positive can help change your outlook on life. The science of gratitude shows us that keeping a journal of items we are thankful for can help with our satisfaction in life. Research has shown benefits of better sleep, stronger immune systems, and positive emotions are connected to personal gratefulness in life. The focus of having appreciation can provide benefits in all areas of life; social, health, career, spiritual and emotional, leading to more happiness overall. So how do you get started on the journey to having more gratefulness in your life? You can start small with taking notice of the world and the beauty that surrounds you. Include acts of kindness in your daily life. It could be just a smile, kind words, helping others, or focusing on the good rather than the negative. Over time, you will find you have developed a habit. Having gratitude is a skill you can develop and bring new and positive benefits into your life. Be mindful of the present moment. Take the time to look at what you have in life to appreciate; then celebrate the wonder and moments of bliss.

“Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Robin Anne Griffiths is a certified master development coach, personal trainer, behavior change consultant, and yoga instructor. She specializes as a movement instructor for senior populations. Her mission is to help with living a fuller and healthier life as you age. Her Better You Series is three unique programs tailored to help with positive changes in diet, fitness, and life direction. She works with groups and individuals on life transitions to create personal balance – physically and mentally. You can find more information at her website.