Gratitude Shapes Your Future

Gratitude is poison to envy, resentment, regret, anger, and anxiety.

Ungratefulness makes you ugly.

Have you seen people who lived through tragedy glow with gratitude?

#1. Practice gratitude.

Don’t wait to feel grateful. Many things in the world invite you to be an ingrate. Some let the actions of others poison their soul. A lousy boss, political leaders, bad neighbors, and former friends pollute life when you let them.

Choose to act your way into feeling. Don’t wait to feel good about doing the right thing.

You naturally notice bad. You choose to focus on good. Mine for a nugget of praise even in the dark.

#2. Don’t pretend.

Painful experiences don’t vanish when you ignore them. However, a hurtful past isn’t resolved by wallowing in it.

You don’t build the future by camping in the past.

Acknowledge pain and practice thankfulness anyway. Mature people learn to do hard things. Don’t be thankful “for,” be thankful “in,” regardless of circumstances.

#3. Accept unchangeables.

1. Your voice is squeaky – at least you can be heard in a crowd.
2. You’re too short – at least you don’t threaten people.
3. You were born into poverty – you have learned to be creative and make do.
4. You’d like to fire your boss – for now you’re practicing character development.

#4. Enjoy benefits:

1. You become beautiful. Resentment gives you wrinkles.
2. Acknowledging something praiseworthy lowers stress.
3. Thankfulness promotes personal growth. Prolonged anger shrivels your spirit.
4. Thankfulness sifts friendships. Bitter people don’t like hanging with thankful people.

How might you practice gratitude today, specifically?

Which benefit of gratitude would most enhance your life today?

Still curious:

The Secret to Magnificent Success

The Simple Shift that Supercharges the Power of Gratitude

I learned how gratitude shapes identity from Robert Emmons, a world recognized gratitude researcher.

Humility and self-reflection strengthen leaders for the battle. Click here to check out, The Vagrant: The Inner Journey of Leadership. It’s a wonderful tool for leaders facing challenges.

—

Previously Published on leadershipfreak with Creative Commons License

***

You Might Also Like These From The Good Men Project

Compliments Men Want to Hear More Often

Relationships Aren’t Easy, But They’re Worth It

The One Thing Men Want More Than Sex

..A Man’s Kiss Tells You Everything

—

Photo credit: unsplash