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Gratitude & The Power Of "Thank You" In Finding Fulfillment!

Let's count your blessings...

By Sally From The Shine ProjectPublished 2 years ago 3 min read
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Gratitude & The Power Of "Thank You" In Finding Fulfillment!
Photo by Courtney Hedger on Unsplash

“Thank you”, a small word with great power.

Indeed, these five simple letters can change your entire life if you decide to say them often and feel the magic in them. Something you can do by adding gratitude to your daily life.

So what is Gratitude?

I mentioned “feeling” the word “thank you” not just saying it. And that’s exactly what gratitude is. It’s not about pronouncing the word, but about counting your blessings in life, feeling lucky, and really being thankful.

According to Robert Emmons, American psychologist and author of the book Thank You! To truly express gratitude, we need to say “thank you” consciously.

We must first be aware of the moment or the good for which we say thank you as well as the awareness of the effort required to obtain it. Then there is the recognition that this benefit comes from outside of oneself.

For sure, gratitude drives you to open yourself to other people and to new chances, paths, and opportunities doors as opposed to zeroing in on yourself. Through it, you will actually want to guide your focus toward what makes you blissful and appreciative rather than just seeing what you’re lacking. It is the change from “To be content, I need… ” to “I’m glad to have… or to be… “.

Often associated with positive psychology, gratitude is not a magical thought. It does not erase misfortunes or worries and does not guarantee you a life free from the blows of fate.

However, thanks to its regular practice, you will develop new skills: you will first recognize your chances – rather than the risks! – and maintain a more positive outlook on life. Even better, your relationships with others will also benefit. The more you say thank you to the people around you, the more they appreciate you, the nicer they will be to you, the more opportunities you will have to say thank you again, and so on! A sort of positive cycle instead of the vicious ones we tend to fall into no thanks to our toxic habits.

By expressing your gratitude to life in general and to others, you are taking care of yourself and them. You are practicing self-care.

Here is a small list of the benefits that gratitude can bring.

  • Better resistance to stress and ability to find ways to feel good.
  • Propensity to see the good side of things and to keep happy memories.
  • More frequent feeling of well-being and encouragement to take better care of oneself (better sleep, less illness, etc.).
  • Stronger and truer interpersonal relationships and better self-knowledge.
  • Better communication with others and ability to express emotions.

Actionable steps to practice more gratitude:

  • Figure out how to say “thank you again” for the easily overlooked details and small little things in your everyday life. Take a moment of appreciation, where you pause for a minute, shut your eyes, or simply concentrate on the image, the moment, and the feeling behind it to saturate your heart with the feeling of abundance, prosperity, and blessings. You could also snap a photo to immortalize the moment.
  • Keep a gratitude journal in which each day you write down 3 things for which you are grateful. You will be able to analyze who or what helps you to live these moments and therefore… repeat them!
  • Spontaneously express your gratitude out loud. Do you love how the spring weather is so fresh and makes you feel reinvigorated? Say “Wow! It feels so good to be alive! Thank you, god (or the universe..)!”
  • Express your gratitude as often as possible. Don’t wait for a unique opportunity or special moment to say “thank you” to the people around you. Never postpone your gratefulness. Don’t wait to tell the people you love all the good things you think of them; say “thank you” whenever the opportunity arises. Did your friends invite you for supper? When you get back, send them a short email to thank them. You never know if you’ll have the chance tomorrow and you can never predict how much your loved ones may need to hear a simple “thank you”.

Source: Originally published on Simily

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About the Creator

Sally From The Shine Project

A self-made entrepreneur/writer.

From entrepreneurship, wellbeing, self-help to personal growth.

Join me for some tips & tricks to help you better your life.

You can show me some love here 💗 ☕️: buymeacoffee.com/sallyRQ

✨ Let's SHINE!

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