Hello Everyone
There are many days when we may feel under the weather, targetted or as though there is a conspiracy theory against us, however, I've realised in recent months that despite the words that we tell ourselves in our heads, we have a lot more going for us than we care to realise. While expressing gratitude has definitely been on the rise in terms of seeing it plastered everywhere on social media, there is no reason why it should be deemed any less unworthy. Yes, it may seem weird to make a list of or verbally expel certain aspects of your life, but I believe that it is one of the many ways that we can exude positivity, optimism and pure happiness within our lives.
Daily, I find myself creating an altered take on the 'To-do list', by writing down a checklist of 'Things I need to do today', followed by a least three 'Things I'm Grateful For'. Focusing more closely on the 'Things I'm Grateful For', I make sure that I give myself at least 5 minutes to sit down and truly think about what I'm grateful for. This can be anywhere from specific people to objects. Hey, it can even be experiences or even something as simple as running water. So below I list the different avenues and categories that I take into consideration when producing my gratitude list.
1. People
First in the list, is showing gratitude towards people. This can be by thanking them for being in your life, appreciating and being grateful for their actions towards you or a certain situation, this can also be because of how they make you feel. Anything will suffice, but truly think about what you catch yourself thinking or saying whenever you're in their presence. That will more than likely be what you're grateful for.
2. Objects
Another way in which I show gratitude is towards the objects that I either use daily or the ones that make my life that little bit easier. I find myself frequently showing gratitude towards my favourite mug and drink for easing me into each and every morning and making rising just that little bit more comfortable. I believe that expressing gratitude towards objects is a relatively easy way to express gratitude. However, I believe it definitely means a lot more when you have fewer items that are in higher rotation, compared with having many items that you seldom use.
3. Experiences
Finally, we have experiences. Experiences are the places that we've been to, things that we've been through or scenarios that we've lived through that have made exactly who we are. This can be travelling to another country, attending a lecture, or having a deep conversation with best friends, family or acquaintances. I'm also a strong believer in anything that is good is good, and anything that is bad is good. Meaning, regardless of the situation or outcome, there is always something we can positively learn. And there is an endless number of things that we can write down for this category.
Another variation of compiling a list of things that you're grateful for is by going on a gratitude walk. Gratitude Walks consist of being outdoors and creating a stream of things that we are grateful for. While this method of showing gratitude can be similar to a stream of consciousness, I find that it does truly help. It helps to stop the mind from thinking about random and irrelevant things, and instead focus on the truly important.
I hope you all enjoy reading my tips on finding things to be grateful for and expressing gratitude in general. Thanks once again for stopping by~
Millicent
What I was listening to whilst making this post
