Glorious Gratitude

This morning a beautiful sunrise reminded me of the power of gratitude and that two simple words, 'thank' and 'you' make an enormous difference to the way I feel about myself and my life.I didn't have my phone with me and wad thankful to Nathan, the construction worker who kindly took and sent this photo to me. 

There has been much research which shows that gratitude contributes to happiness and self-confidence. So why don’t we do it more? For me I think it is about forgetting and a lack of awareness around the power of gratitude and the destructive nature of taking things for granted. 
 
Some things that have helped me are understandings like…………

• Research has shown that being grateful contributes to our happiness and self confidence 
• Being grateful is a great way to overcome feeling down
• It is easy for us to be grateful when we consider our amazing lives and all those people in our lives are doing kind things for us all the time.
• We can be grateful to others who give us the opportunity to show kindness. And grateful to ourselves too for the kindness we show toward others. 
• It is not possible for us to survive if it were not for others kindness. Those who grow our food, make our roads, appliances, clothes, and cars, and teach and care for us. 
• I have a choice between focusing on what I am grateful for and what is going right in my life or choosing to focus on negativity. 
• We can’t be grateful and unhappy at the same time so choose to be grateful 
• It’s good for our mind to notice how often known, unknown or unseen people are contributing and making our lives possible and being grateful to them all.   

These understandings of the benefits of gratitude have helped me to establish and sustain a morning gratitude practice and remember to express thanks lots. Although I need a little reminder sometimes! 
 
Helpful thought: Gratitude feels great. Thank you. 

With love, thanks and very best well wishes to us all 
Maree xx
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