Expressing
gratitude is something I’m challenging myself with in 2017. It can reap many
benefits for and change your outlook on life. Your attitude has a direct
relationship with how you feel and your quality of life. Taking a little bit of
time to think about what you are grateful for can make each day a little bit
better.
It
is easy to take life and what we have for granted. Our brains are chemically
built to seek instant gratification, new things, and higher rewards. Further,
it often seems like our society only really values the new and improved, as
well as the rich and powerful. Being grateful for what we have is a challenge.
It is an active pursuit that takes genuine effort. Like any good habit it
requires training and persistence.
Writing
about being grateful for what we have may be counter-intuitive for a gym’s blog.
Gym’s are built on the pursuit of more strength, a better body, and improved
health. Usually, we want to change and are not “grateful for the body we have”.
I argue that you should be grateful for the pursuit of health, strength, or
whatever your goals are. Being grateful doesn’t mean we can’t seek to improve
our quality of life. In fact, using gratitude is a way to improve it.
We
climb mountains our whole lives only to see the new higher one and the desire
to climb it. Gratitude is about taking a moment to enjoy the view and
appreciate the accomplishment. Further, it is about being thankful for all the
people who have been with you on your journey. If you have had supportive
parents, friends that wish you well, and enough free time to do something you love
you are pretty darn lucky.
A
few simple tips for practicing gratitude in your everyday life:
1.
Before
you get out of bed in the morning or as you go to sleep at night reflect on the
things you are grateful for. Family, friends, the roof over your head, the warm
bed you are in. This is a great way to either end the day or start it (Or if
you want to really get crazy…both)
2.
Take
the time to be thankful for something small throughout the day. Whether it be
the smile of a stranger or finding a parking spot right up front (or making the
effort to park further away and take a few extra steps that day) the small
things build and turn into a big difference over time.
3.
When
things are going poorly be grateful for the wisdom gained from those hard
times. Whether it be a bad day at the gym, a poor test grade, or a bad interaction
at work, you can turn it on its head by being grateful for the opportunity to
learn.
I
cannot take complete credit for these thoughts on gratitude. The current book I
am reading, “The Mayo Clinic Guide to Stress-Free Living” does a great job of
emphasizing gratitude. It is a great starting point!
I
had an interesting conversation not long ago about how we don’t get to decide
the value of the goods we purchase anymore. There is no bartering system. We
are told how much something is worth. Gratitude is our way of valuing the
things we have. It is you taking back a little bit of control. Appreciating
that you have a roof over your head, a car that gets you from point A to point
B, and relationships that are supportive gives them value. Your mind will adapt
to this appreciation and you will stop wishing for the bigger better deal and
be thankful for what you have been granted.
THANK
YOU for reading!
