Our StoryWhen I began reflecting on my December blog being the last one of 2019, it became obvious that gratitude was the most appropriate and powerful subject I could write about. There are so many spontaneous gifts each of us experiences in life that creates the opportunity for gratitude.
Gratitude is an attitude. It is the get-rich-quick scheme in life. Emotionally rich with well-being and happiness as its reward. Another way of looking at gratitude is it’s the master key to abundance in life. It unlocks so many almost magical experiences. In fact, I read a testimonial where someone said, “Life is so magical that something so easy as practicing gratitude has such a powerful impact.” It is free, easy and anyone can do it. And it’s literally life-changing.
A bestselling author said it this way. “Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow,” writes Melodie Beattie.
Gratitude brings more than just the feeling of well-being and happiness. It also has many health benefits including lowering blood pressure, aids digestion, helps one sleep better, and science has now validated it improves lipid ratios in blood.
In my book 10 Habits of Wellness, released earlier this year, a chapter is dedicated to the wonders of gratitude. Knowing the benefits of practicing gratitude, we all need the habit of gratitude to reap consistently. The Three Rs are the simplest way I have discovered to develop a habit. Know the reward, identify a daily routine in life to practice the routine of gratitude and then create reminders.
Sometimes busy schedules distract us into the urgent and away from the important. Sometimes events occur that emotionally bring other emotions like anger, anxiety or fear. So having the routine and reminders for the practice of gratitude are so important. When life is going well, it allows us to celebrate life! Enjoy the good times! But when life is not going well, is filled with trauma or adversity, the practice of gratitude allows us perspective and life in its entirety to grow stronger. Please remember the bad things in life do not define who we are.
I invite you to listen to my upcoming podcast, available on December 15th, on the seven proven benefits of practicing gratitude. I have a special moment with my five-year-old granddaughter, Autumn, that will bring a smile to your face and your heart as she prays for you.
As we close out this year I can truly say I am so grateful for our TriVita Members. They are top of the list, along with family and friends. I am grateful for your support of our wellness mission with each purchase you make and the many phone calls, letters and emails expressing your gratitude for TriVita. That is one of the blessings of the attitude of gratitude. It creates a feedback loop of care and love.
This Christmas holiday season is a very special time for learning to practice daily the attitude of gratitude. For those of us as Christians, it is the most important time to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ and gratitude is the overwhelming feeling and thought in recognizing God’s gift to mankind worldwide. My Jewish friends celebrating Hanukah are also filling their lives with gratitude for the historical re-dedication of the Temple.
I leave this thought for you to ponder. Gratitude with all its many benefits is best experienced when we realize life’s gifts, forces and energy come from outside of ourselves. Recognize people, God, and life as the gifts and force of your life best lived with gratitude. The opposite of that is pride!
