“When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive — to breathe, to think , to enjoy, to love.” — Marcus Aurelius
Last week, in the middle of the conversation with my friend, I just realized how quickly my friend replies to me (we are in different timezones) and I look forward to my friend’s responses. It might be as simple as appreciating a joke, an opposite viewpoint on a topic, or what does my friend thinks about my article. This realization made me appreciate the importance of having such a friend to speak to. I felt grateful to God for having such people in my life.
It also made me realize how being grateful can change your perspective. I have identified a few reasons why gratitude is good for you and why everyone should practice it.
Improves your personality: Usually, being grateful can make you more optimistic as we are focusing on the good in life. When you focus on the good in life, the worst thing that can happen is something bad. So should we be worrying twice before it happens or worries only once when it happens? Gratitude can also make you less self-centered because the premise is built on appreciating the acts of others in life. The more you give, the more you receive.
Improves your health & relationships: When you appreciate someone for being in our lives, wouldn’t that person feel good about it? What does that have to do with health? Studies have shown that you live longer , if you are happy and being grateful can make you happier. Being physically fit can reduce the chances of heart-related ailments, how about being mentally fit to avoid the risk of bad health symptoms?
Happier memories: When you recollect memories, you tend to remember events that have shaped you the person you are today. You will remember the struggles you experienced, but on top of that, you recollect how you overcame your hurdles. This can give you the confidence to conquer the current struggles and make it through.
You can practice gratitude in many ways. Writing down five things you are grateful for every day and looking at the list can remind how lucky you are. Call a friend and tell them how they changed your thinking. Talk to your family member and say how important they were in shaping you today. This does not mean that you have to ignore the bad things, it’s a conscious choice to take, whether to be happy and be grateful for what you have or cry about things we don’t have or things which shouldn’t have happened?
During these COVID-19 times, I am grateful for all the frontline workers for their service and sacrifice.
“Dwell on the beauty of life. Watch the stars, and see yourself running with them” — Marcus Aurelius.
