Cultivating Gratitude: The Power of Thanksgiving in Everyday Life

We've heard so much about gratitude in the last few years, and there is a good reason for it. Practicing gratitude every day is a health-giving, positive habit to cultivate. 

Usually, I journal every morning and start with a paragraph of all I am grateful for. This helps me drop out of my head and into my heart, where I communicate back and forth with God, or you might call God that quiet, still inner voice. I ask questions and wait for answers that flow through the pen onto the page. It is incredible to me the love that encourages, enlightens, and strengthens me. Recently, though, I had many deadlines to fulfill, and instead of journaling, I went first to work on the computer, thinking I would get to the journaling later. The problem was I never got to the journaling and, therefore, the gratitude list, and day after day went by.

I started feeling tired and achy with sore joints and a persistent sharp pain over my right temple. I rarely get headaches, so I knew it was because I was worried about some ongoing issues. My mind was dwelling on fear, and it was why I was physically hurting. I realized I needed to check in with God and express gratitude for all the good I have in my life, and not on my worries. After ensuring I did not neglect this morning ritual and feeling safe and connected, my aches and pains disappeared. I was able to let them go into the arms of the beloved.

Something Is Always Happening in the Supernatural

When our minds are stressed and worried, we miss the positive things God is doing in the background, in the supernatural.

Practicing gratitude and being thankful changes everything. It raises your vibration and shifts your mindset. You become open to seeing the truth about your situation and the miracles happening in your everyday life, despite the hardships you might be going through. It might be as simple as smiling at someone as you walk down the street, and they smile back, a joy that a total stranger and I can have that lovely moment together.

When your mind is beset with fear, anger, resentment, and insecurities, you cannot see the beauty in the moment. It's there; sometimes you have to look for it. Cultivating gratitude helps you do that. The apartment we live in is a joy for me every day, from the lighting at night on the curved pathways adorned with tropical plants to seeing the palm trees silhouetted against the early morning rising sun or how the brick paving is so intricately designed and displayed. I am grateful for the creativity and thoughtfulness that went into the design and landscaping of these buildings and grounds. They won an award, and it is obvious why. The miracle is that I am here, and what was I doing? I was worrying about things that were out of my control and may not even happen. What a waste of my precious time. Many people do not have an apartment and live on the street, in a shelter, or in a subway in a war-torn country that is being bombed.

When Our Mind Is Stuck in the Past

Roman philosopher Cicero said, "Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues but the parent of all others." I look at my past not regretfully but instead see the richness of life and the gifts I was given to overcome life's challenges. 

Gratitude can mitigate toxic, negative emotions like envy, resentment, and regret - emotions that can eat away at our happiness.

This doesn't mean we don't heal such issues as trauma or grief that need to be addressed. We do that when necessary with someone who can help us through difficult things. Practicing gratitude is like a natural upper; it is an integral part of our day to keep us healthy in mind, spirit, and body.