What are some ways to develop gratitude and appreciation for life?

One simple exercise I use, is to have a gratitude stone , I keep it on my bedside table. When I wake up in the morning I hold it and go through a list of things i am grateful for in my life. And I do exactly the same before I go to bed at night.

To even think about being grateful to what we have in our life...one has to first learn to identify .. 1. the complaints they have about life 2. why are they dissatisfied about their life 3. how they feel about self Self Pity influences lack of gratitude. It makes one feel that their life is never good compared to others. Learning to Eliminate Self Pity will help one to start being Grateful. Realising the meaning of their Existence, the Value their life adds to others will help them stay in a State of mind of Gratitude.

To cultivate gratitude and appreciation for life, start by keeping a daily gratitude journal. Reflect on three things you're thankful for each day. Practice mindfulness, focusing on the present moment, and savouring small joys. Ask yourself: What positive lessons or opportunities for growth did this experience present? How can you express gratitude for the lessons learned? Think about someone who has had a significant impact on your life. What specific actions or qualities do you appreciate about them? Volunteer or help others to gain perspective. Surround yourself with positive influences and regularly remind yourself of the beauty in everyday moments.

Gratitude journaling enhances mental health. Maintaining and daily updating a GRATITUDE log can elevate mood, reduce stress, and increase focus and productivity. Each day, capture in writing at least 3 things for which you are grateful. An additional benefit of capturing your gratitude in writing is the opportunity to re-visit your entries as often as you need to. This will serve as a reminder of the plethora of gifts in your life.

Pratiquer la gratitude est une fa?on de porter un tout autre regard, sur sa journée. Vous pouvez en faire un vrai rituel. Avant de vous coucher, vous aurez choisi un joli carnet posé sur votre table de nuit, vous pouvez ajouter une bougie, ou diffuser un parfum que vous appréciez. Vous prenez le temps de revenir à vous, vous vous remémorez pendant quelques minutes votre journée. Puis vous choisissez 3 moments pour lesquels vous éprouvez de la gratitude : la personne qui vous a aidé à ranger votre valise trop lourde en hauteur dans le train, le dessin de votre enfant posé sur la table en rentrant, le coucher de soleil et ses belles couleurs. Même si la journée a été éprouvante, vous allez changer votre état émotionnel.

Sometimes, we take our friends, colleagues, family, or partners for granted, as well as any kindness we receive from random strangers. I used to think about three things or people that I am grateful for just before going to sleep. Recently, I decided to share it aloud with them, and I observed two major effects: it makes both parties feel good and strengthens relationships.

Expressing gratitude to others can be a powerful experience. It requires an active effort to convey your message. Yet, when you feel thankful towards someone, it may be difficult to find the right words or gestures. In 2020, I left my workplace without the chance to say goodbye to anyone in person. I felt sadness as I looked around the empty office, where I had created so many memories. As a way to express my gratitude, I had a quick thought to at least leave sticky notes on some of my colleagues' desks. It was only several months later when the notes were discovered, and even in 2023, we still reminisced about them. This experience taught me the significance of expressing gratitude, no matter how small the gesture. Where will you begin?

Expressing gratitude to others helps the other, but in addition, it is a powerful reminder to us that our life is good, because we have these people in our life. When we tell another what we appreciate about them, and we see the positive effect on the other person, we also feel more capable and engaged.

We often express gratitude to others when big things happen and they provided support in some way. It's saying thank you for the little things that we tend to take for granted that can have the most positive impact. Thinks like recognizing when someone is giving you their full attention or remembered to pick their sock up off the floor.

Another practice which also teaches us humility. When we acknowledge that we are living a good life because of a lot of people who help us in various ways in our everyday life, we realise how interdependent and connected we all are. ??

Remembering that there is always a another peak after every valley can help you to find the silver lining in most challenges. Though it may be hard to find it while you are in it, reminding yourself that you have made it through every other challenge in your life so far and this is just building more resilience for the ones to come can be helpful. Making time to look back and reflect can help you pull more of the wisdom nuggets and see it as something that happened for you instead of to you.

Reframing our thoughts about our life events are pivotal in maintaining our peace of mind. The situation in life is never in our control but how we respond to it always is. Here's how I would reframe my thoughts: 1) What is that one lesson I learnt from this challenge? 2) How can I use this experience in my life to make future decisions? 3) How can I use this experience to redirect my life? 4) What is my Higher Self trying to teach me through this experience? 5) How can I be grateful for this life challenge?

One quick but powerful mindset shift to use when we are facing a challenge is to ask ourselves the question, “What am I learning from this?” This makes us feel in control of a difficulty as we find the meaning in the struggle.

When I look back I realise that every challenge in life has taught me that everything happens for our own good. At the moment it may seem to be the worst thing ever, however as we eventually gather ourselves up and keep putting one foot ahead of the other we do overcome that challenge. And end up being stronger. ????

Voir les cadeaux "mal emballés" de la vie n'est pas toujours facile. A mon sens, avant même de tirer les enseignements d'une épreuve, d'un obstacle rencontré sur votre parcours, il est essentiel de faire un travail de "deuil", d'extérioriser les émotions que ce changement provoque en vous, de déposer ce qui vous para?t négatif et de reconna?tre ce que vous avez retiré de cette expérience. Vous pouvez aussi faire le choix de la confiance, reconna?tre la difficulté de ce qui est traversé et savoir au fond de soi que vous serez bient?t en capacité d'éprouver une forme de reconnaissance pour ce qui est arrivé.

In order to feel grateful for what's happening around us or inside us, we need to notice these inner or outer events. In order to notice them, we need to pause. We miss lots of these valuable moments of gratitude when we are constantly busy. And in order to pause, we need to practicce mindfulness. Plan 3-4 random moments of mindful pause in your schedule and just notice what is happening around you and what you can feel grateful for, before it slips through your fingers.

Mindfulness can help us be grateful for life overall. We miss out on most of our lives because we aren't fully present. There is so much beauty & serenity in the present moment. When we stay mindful we can pay attention to the minute details like the support of the chair we are sitting on, the support of Mother Earth within us, the texture & taste of the food we are eating etc. The more present we are the more we find things to be grateful about.

Learning to be present is the key to fully experiencing life. The greatest tool we have to practice mindfulness is our breath. It takes 30 secs to take 3 full deep breaths and those few breaths can change our mood, our nervous system and our mindset.

Being present in the moment is the most beautiful experience. When you shut out everything else and just be present in the NOW, be it sipping a cup of coffee or cooking, It just turns out to be one of the best moments of your life. And I have realised that the simplest of things can give us immense joy because we chose to live that moment. ????

In this VUCA world mindfulness is the best thing one can practise. We need to priorities our physical and mental health and accept the situations in life as they come, without overthinking. If you can do it better then do it, if you can't then accept it.

According to Swami Satyananda Saraswati, seva is very important. When we work for something or someone without expecting anything in return, with the idea of simply giving, it can become the most fulfilling experience of our lives.

If you are feeling sad, think of a way to help another person. It could be making dinner for someone who is grieving, sending a note to someone or giving someone to call or text. When we think of others out outside ourselves, we realize that we are all very similar and connected.

Combining gratitude rituals with things you do everyday can help your gratitude practice become an automatic habit. My favorite two ways to do this, which also double as mindfulness practices are: - Taking a walk and saying thank you to everything you see that makes you smile or be curious or take a second look. Like the colors of leaves in the fall, children playing games you loved as a child in the park, a house that makes you curious about the design inside. - Taking a shower and thanking every body part for supporting you as you go. For example, thanking my legs for carrying me to where I need to go. My arms for lifting the things I need to carry, or holding my babies.

Reflect on three powerful questions and embrace what these reveal. 1. What in My Life Sustains Me? Acknowledge the things which consistently support and enrich you. Your health, relationships, nature, achievements, fulfilment of basic needs. 2. What Are the Most Meaningful Things in my Life?, such as family, love friends, career, joy, pleasure, personal growth. 3. What Are the Freely Available Ways Through Which I Can Express Myself Now? Identify the ways you can express your unique self and provide recognition of others. This could be through art, communication, volunteering, or merely being present in your daily interactions. Answering these questions can help you recognize and appreciate the value and richness present in your life.

There are times when we are unable to feel gratitude. I would suggest having a Privilege list in such times. When you think of privilege you automatically feel that you are so lucky. So making a list of all the privileges you have in your life is a good way to feel gratitude in your tough times. Another thing that I would suggest to tune into gratitude is to go through your previous entries in your journal. Look back at the entries that are for eg - 6 months old. Read through them & you will release how much you have grown & overgrown. This will help you feel grateful for the life you have & for your resilience & courage.