Attitude

“The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.” 
– Oprah Winfrey

As we journey through life, we often come across people who leave a mark on us. 

Some inspire us to be better, while others might unknowingly steer us towards a more negative outlook. I once had a friend who fell into the latter category.

 His knack for finding the negative in every situation was persistent, and surprisingly, I found myself mirroring this attitude the more time I spent with him.

 It wasn’t until I considered my behavior closely and chose to create distance that I realized the real impact this negativity was having on my view of life.

 This experience led me to understand the incredible power of our thoughts and the use of our positive or negative thoughts have the power to change our lives. 

The truth is that both complaining and gratitude can transform our lives for the worse or better respectively.

Gratitude, it turns out, is more than just a polite thank you or a fleeting emotion. It’s a mindset. It is a practice and a way of life that can significantly enhance our overall well-being. When we consciously focus on the positives, it also starts to shape our subconscious outlook.

 The more we make positivity our focus in our lives, in the goodness around us, the more attuned we become to noticing and appreciating it and the less we notice and dwell on the negative.

We can begin this by setting aside a few moments each day to reflect on our blessings and opportunities, we can effectively cultivate a reservoir of happiness.  This practice doesn’t just help us appreciate the large successes; it encourages us to find joy in our small moments too. Whether it’s the warmth of our morning cup of coffee, the laughter of loved ones, or the glory of a sunset, these elements of life that may seem minor, collectively contribute to our journey towards a more fulfilling and meaningful life.

A gratitude journal can be a powerful tool in nurturing this positive shift. Writing down our thoughts, no matter how simple they may seem, give us tangible acknowledgement of the positive things in our lives. 

As we revisit our entries over time, we witness the transformative effect of gratitude unfolding before us. Similarly, expressing gratitude to those around us—whether through heartfelt conversations, letters, or even simple acts of kindness—can create a ripple of this positivity that benefits not only us but also the people we interact with.

Photo by Surface on Unsplash