The Liberating Effect of Being Grateful

With November comes thoughts of the holidays and goodwill and Thanksgiving (of course). For many, though, life seems a constant whirlwind of activity. Society has created this ‘cycle’ necessitating a constant rush from activity to activity, with little or no time to just be still and contemplate, appreciate the good things in our lives.

Many of us need opportunity to pause and take stock of what we do have. Learning to be grateful for the things we have, rather than continuously seeking or focusing on the things we don’t, unleashes the power of optimism. Optimism combats an endless cycle of negative thinking that can eventually lead to burn-out or some other detrimental physical response.

Gratitude is a powerful character trait to foster. When we focus on being grateful for our respective blessings, we stop taking them for granted. According to the Roman statesman (Marcus Tullius) Cicero: “Gratitude is not only the greatest of all virtues, it is the parent of them.”

People who make effort to be grateful (yes, sometimes life makes being grateful an ‘effort’) gradually develop gratitude as second-nature. These folks typically find more reasons to be grateful, able to spread that good vibe through osmosis, and others are drawn to them accordingly. On the other hand, those with nothing but a negative attitude centered around never having enough and thus not being grateful, tends to turn people away.

Taking Stock

Being grateful for the little things, the blessings that make life not so disastrous after all, soon permeates one’s life on a grander level. Many begin adopting a grateful attitude using some form of social comparison to see their lives in a better light. Gratitude stimulates a drive to push on through life’s obstacles/challenges. Pushing through with optimism, gratitude, and hope (even just a little bit of it) is freeing. It’s important to take stock of those things helping us get through, and allow gratitude to flourish, because realizing even bad times … end, is liberating.

Becoming genuinely grateful for what one already has reduces the need to seek more. There’s genuine appreciation for others’ efforts and contributions, with energy left over to reach out and extend that goodwill of appreciation. And ‘seeking more’ isn’t necessarily a bad thing if it’s from a place of healthy ambition. A ‘seeking more’ rooted in envy or selfish determination is altogether different, and certainly more negative.

Practice Makes …

Throughout history, many famous people have espoused the important life lesson of being grateful. Lives are transformed when life is approached with this characteristic. Regularly jotting things to be grateful for (material, immaterial, non-material), easily cultivates it. Writing, seeing, and reflecting on blessings, however small, reinforces being grateful for them. Taking time throughout the day to express gratitude to God (or your respective Supreme Being, if applicable), family, friends, or even the world, also furthers living gratefully—even when faced with adversity.

Can you think of three things you’re grateful for? Even one thing will do. Yes? Great. Write it down, read and reflect on it a time or two throughout the day. If other ‘blessings’ come to mind, even better. Keep it going. A new form of awareness, lifelong and liberating, awaits …

Until next time, stay serif, be well, be thankful, and read on.