How to Turn Gratitude into Joy

Many of us live very busy lives - where we multi-task daily and rarely find time to live in the moment or practice gratitude, something I like to refer to as living a “Drive-by Life”. Practicing gratitude will be the catalyst to increasing joy in your life.

A feeling of appreciation for all that you have in your life and all that you are. It is the expression of thanksgiving for the things that make life worth living and for the hidden blessings that are often overlooked. It’s being able to say thank you for the little things that make you smile and for those that add joy to living. - Wendy Meg Siegel

Do you find that most days you’re just thankful to complete the tasks on your to-do list? The thing is, that’s not the type of gratitude that’s life changing. Research has proven that having an attitude of gratitude is the most effective action to improve all facets of our lives, ultimately increasing our joy.

Life is not infinite – there is a start and end date.

A few years ago I went through a transitional stage, where I began to evaluate everything in my life. This all started when I realized life is not infinite – there’s a start and end date. Following this revelation, I made a point to slow down when I was walking in or out of work to look up at the sky and appreciate everything around me. I became more conscious of the abundance of my life, by appreciating the little things.

Gratitude must be practiced. It’s not innate.

In my book Giving Back: How to Find Your Personal Joy and Make a Difference to Others, I wrote an entire chapter on gratitude to share the positive affect gratitude has on my life, increasing my joy twofold.

It’s vital we start our day with gratitude – imagine if the first thought you have when you wake is an appreciation for your sleep – starting every day with a positive thought will set your path in the right direction. We need to place our attention on things that are going well to help us through daily challenges; stress can easily overtake us. 

Gilbert Ross says, “The real power of gratitude is that it makes you pick out and focus on what is working in your life.” He reinforces that “quite often we pick out the pain points, the problems, the bottlenecks, whatever it is that is not working in our life and causing friction, anxiety, and unhappiness. This is like constantly rewriting the script of your life with a negative or tragic overtone. Your subconscious mind follows faithfully that script you write whether it is a negative or positive one.”

Practicing gratitude from the moment we wake up can truly make a difference.

4 Tips for Practicing and Realizing Gratitude

1. Focus on all of the positive aspects of your life > Think about things you’re grateful for – big and small. When you concentrate on what you have you’re sending a positive message to yourself and others which will increase the things you’re thankful for in your life.
2. Speak about your abundance > Express what you’re thankful for. Positive self-talk affirms all you appreciate. Share your appreciation with others. Let them know how grateful you are.
3. Cultivate your relationships with other with gratitude > The healthier your relationships are with others the better your health will be; your stress will be lowered and the happier and more appreciative you will be.
4. Practice gratitude > Following all of the steps above each day will put into to practice a new habit and help you reflect on the goodness in your life. Gratitude must be practiced daily

We must embrace life, recognize our bounty, and share it. We have the power to increase joy in our life, by practicing gratitude. Start by being grateful for the small gestures and experiences each day brings us.

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Linda is the president of Marshall Connects, Author, Television host, and a member of CAPS and Speaker U. Linda published ‘Giving Back, How to Find Your Personal Joy and Make a Difference to Others' in 2014 and is the Host of Business Wellness in Hamilton on Cable 14.

As the President of Marshall Connects Linda specializes in facilitating workshops, consulting, and motivational speaking on topics of current interest including Emotional Intelligence, Employee Engagement, Team Building and Leadership Development.  Linda brings her on-the-ground experience with a 32-year career in senior management roles, and over 25 years' service on non-profit boards.