Today I want to discuss why I feel that gratitude is one of the most important things to practice in life. There are plenty of times when it can feel like everything is horrible or we get lost in our own self doubt and can't find out way out. I've been there and I'm sure most everyone has been there at some point or might be there now. I'll discuss how I try to practice gratitude no matter what and how it benefits my life.
When I've been caught in negative cycles and toxic patterns in my life, I can look back and see that I wasn't grateful for anything. I took many things for granted and I started to gain a sense of entitlement to many things that become glaringly obvious when they are taken away. I feel that the only real safeguard against falling into a negative or toxic mindset is to be grateful for what we do have and focus on ourselves. Trying to compare ourselves or the achievements we've made or lessons we've learned to those of others is a good way to start feeling "less than" and inadequate.
I try to be present and mindful of the things I have to be grateful for and I often write about them. Most mental health professional recommend keeping a journal to work through toxic thought patterns, but it's also important to keep one for things that we are grateful for each day. Even when it doesn't seem like it, there is always something to be grateful for, even if it's just the fact that we're still breathing. It can seem impossible at first, but the whole process starts with finding one thing to be grateful for every day and building from there.
The more we practice gratitude and mindfulness, the more we start finding to be grateful for, and the goal is to eventually start being grateful for everything. I'm a fatalist, but you don't have to be to benefit from gratitude. Maybe we don't get a job that we were trying to get, that can end up being a good thing and making us available for other opportunities. I like to believe that everything is all working exactly how it's supposed to and even though not all of it is pleasant, we can usually find some kind of lesson in it. Even if the lesson is learning to let go of things we have no control over, it still benefits us. Hopefully this helps someone, Namaste.