Throughout the history of mankind, the pursuit of happiness has been discussed extensively.
What makes a man happy?
Can man ever reach the level of self actualization or fulfilment?
What leads to fulfilment on this planet?
Is it possible for a particular individual to have it all?
Why do some individuals seem to have it all and yet look miserable?
All of these questions have been asked over and over again with different answers being provided by scholars, wise men, religious and world leaders.
Despite different opinions on the above questions, there seems to be a particular trait or feature which is the key to a successful pursuit of hapiness. This key element is gratitude. So what is gratitude?
Gratitude is the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness- Google.
There are other definitions for gratitude but I chose this for simplicity. When you are willing to show appreciation for the little things in your life, it brings about a positive vibe in your being and that in turn open up or attract more positive vibes thereby leading the cosmos or nature or Creator to give you more good things in your life.
Gratitude affects all areas of your life be it health,business, social life, career, spirituality, relationship e.t.c. Lets have a look at these areas closely:
Health
Gratitude helps us to fall asleep and even increases the duration and quality of sleep. Insomnia or lack of sleep occurs mostly when we have a lot on our minds, worrying about work, career, kids, relationships. Gratitude brings a certain level of relief which enables us to sleep better.
Gratitude leaves you with a positive vibe and you worry less thereby lowering your blood pressure. People that show gratitude are less likely to develop mental disorders. It improves our well being generally and in effect lead to an increase life span.
Relationships
The way we interact with people is closely related to having a positive mindset. Gratitude enables you to appreciate the kind gestures of others, this enables us to connect on a deeper level and to reciprocate the love shown to us.
Marriage
This has a positive effects on marriages leading to a longer lasting marriage. Gratitude enables us to appreciate our spouse, this in turn helps us to overlook some of their shortcomings thereby preventing nagging and strife.
Career
Gratitude enables us to have good rapport with our colleagues at work, this enhances interpersonal relationship which is a key ingredient in a successful career.As a manager you need to infect your team with the positive vibes and this in turn will rub on their perfomance. A postive aura in the workplace makes goals and visions easily achievable.
Productivity
Gratitude enables us to be more productive as we have less things on our minds, this enhances concentration or focus. When we are able to focus all our energies on a particular area of specialisation, we are more likely to succeed in such niche.
There are other ways in which gratitude affects our life positively.It is the key in living a healthy and purpose filled life.
Thank you for reading.
Gratitude to @gbenga for this awesome badge.