Did you know that an attitude of gratitude can do wonders for pretty much every aspect of your life? That’s right – from increased confidence to more happiness and everything in between, here are 5 amazing benefits of thankfulness. From the blessings and the great things that have been happening in my life, I can attest firsthand to the power of being grateful.
If you’re anything like me (and the best of us), the chances are that you’re wondering: how can I embrace gratitude? For me, it wasn’t an easy walk in the park at first. But I found One Thousand Gifts, a fantastic read by Ann Voskamp, to be quite helpful. It simply changed how I look at everything - my relationships, my career, my faith, and even my financials.
This book is a page-turner, and I hope it’ll transform your life too. It boasts of a somewhat different writing style from other self-help books, but you’ll enjoy learning all the nuggets of information about gratitude.
Benefit #1. Practicing Gratitude Can Help You Become Mentally Strong
Perhaps one of the biggest upsides of being thankful is that it can boost your confidence. This, in turn, will help you become a mental warrior, a person with a strong mental will. When you cultivate an attitude of gratitude, you don’t spend your time pining or feeling sorry for yourself. Instead, you will have a more positive perspective on your life. In other words, your positive mindset will rub off on others, and encourage those around you to be more confident in themselves too.
Benefit #2. Helps You Become Happier
It’s not a big secret that happier people are healthier, look and feel more vibrant, and eventually live longer. But how can one remain happy in today’s world riddled with stress and gloom? Turns out, finding your way to a happy life is pretty simple: be grateful! Instead of dwelling on past mistakes and holding grudges, you can decide to be thankful for the good things that are happening in your life.
If you had a bad childhood, for instance, don’t let it bog you down. The chances are that you’ve got a great job or a family that loves you. So, leave the past where it belongs: the past. An attitude of gratitude can help you heal past pains and memories. It can also help you let go and forge ahead with your chin up. When you do that, you will be mentally strong, more focused, happier, and healthier.
Benefit #3. Gratitude Helps You Become More Content
It’s only natural to feel a sense of entitlement – that the world owes us something. Unfortunately, self-entitlement is a self-destructive emotion that should be kept at bay. The good news is that an attitude of gratitude can help you get rid of this feeling. You see, when you are thankful, you would not feel that the world owes you something. More importantly, when you’re grateful, you will appreciate the power of hard work and patience.
Benefit #4. Gratitude helps you Embrace Change
Change is the only constant in this world. That’s why it is crucial to embrace change rather than resist it. Thankfully, practicing gratitude can help you trust that these changes can open doors to new opportunities in life. After all, nothing is permanent in this world.
Benefit #5. Gratitude can boost your Social Life
Do you desire to be loved and liked? We all do. You’ll be glad to know that gratitude can help you become more social. It makes us seem nicer, more appreciative, and more trusting of others. As a consequence, gratitude can help you deepen your relationships, meet and make more friends, and take your marriage to the next level.
There you have it – 5 tried-and-true benefits of gratitude. Remember these are just but a few perks of being grateful. So, what are you thankful for today?