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Gratitude is a mental weapon which can change our lives. It is an act that can be done in written form – in the form of diary-keeping or journal-writing which, with the help of digital tools such as your device’s notepad, word processing software and services such as words to pages converter and free plagiarism checkers, even persons most allergic to writing can do. The power of gratitude is something that is often neglected in our day to day life. To understand its benefits, Lao Tzu left us a phrase that should make us have an understanding of this abstract concept: “Gratitude is the memory of the heart“.
What it Means to Live in Gratitude
To live in gratitude, the law of gratitude proposes we have to relax and also learn to be thankful for the little things and values that we have in its rightful measure.
When we speak of gratitude, we are not referring only to courtesy behaviors such as being appreciative after a favor someone grants us. However, it is to open our conscience to appreciate the state of our well being, having a good family, enjoying that walk in the mountains, on the beach, and even saying thanks during not-so-good periods.
In fact, this idea is supported by the law of attraction which is found in the philosophy of the New Thought. According to the law of attraction, a person’s thoughts (whether negative or positive) brings the same positive or negative result in his life.
Gratitude isn’t Just for the Good Times
People tend to fall into a very common mistake, and we almost do not realize it: it’s common for us to only give thanks or be appreciative when we receive positive news or positive things. Far from it, gratitude should not be reserved for the good times alone.
We will be expressing gratitude if we can also offer recognition, for example, after a failed effort at something, we say, “I recognize you because I know you have tried something to help me, to bring me happiness.” Recognizing our efforts for having the strong will to live with hope and fulfillment can be a good way to lift our self-esteem.
During bad times, gratitude offers strength and motivation. We will give you a very illustrative example: Imagine the situation where your partner has disappointed you in something and that the relationship is broken. The pain is terrible, there is no doubt. However, there exist many ways you can continue to thank life, such as finding strength in each moment to overcome that loss, having gratitude in your family and friends who will support you for being as you are, a woman or man that deserves to be happy again.
Writing a Thank You Journal
Have you ever found that we often feel relieved during traumatic experiences after writing down our thoughts or worries?
You can dedicate about 5 minutes of your time every day to review all the great things in your life.
Thanks to the digital innovations around us today, no one should have no doubts about his ability to keep a journal. Today, digital tools are available which can assist us in making free plagiarism checks, for example. Also, we can find and use the best free grammar checkers for spelling and grammar corrections. There are also services such as words to pages converter and those which can help us know how many words on a double spaced page.
Through writing, you can reflect on the things and values you have and be grateful for having them. Remember, life brings you results based on what you fix your attention on.
Gratitude improves our health
According to experts from WritingPeak, the simple act of recognizing ourselves and others, and giving thanks for the positive aspects of life, offers a physical and mental improvement, capable of preventing various heart problems.
The author of this research is Doctor Paul J. Mills from the University of California, San Diego (USA).
The conclusions reached were the following:
1. Gratitude and positive emotions
The power of gratitude is related in many cases with spirituality. However, we should all take into account the importance of positive emotions in our day to day life. It does not matter what we believe in or whether we are religious. The most remarkable thing is knowing how to appreciate ourselves and others without rancor, without anxieties, without pressure.
2. Gratitude and heart health:
He also found out that the mental wellness and the simple fact of being a part of this life offer many patients great recovery which can be seen in their blood pressure and their biomarkers, which are related to cardiovascular system processes.
A person who takes life with tranquility and balance – who knows how to appreciate the little things, enjoys himself and his family – often has a healthier heart and has fewer problems of heart failure, such as shortness of breath or fatigue.
Dr. Mills also explains that to carry out this study, several psychological tests were applied to 500 patients, to find out if those people who valued the power of gratitude and who expressed it every day differed from those who did not consider this aspect.
Guess what the results were? The most spiritual or gratifying patients had no symptoms of depression; their quality of sleep was very good; they presented less fatigue and, in addition, their inflammatory markers regarding their heart health were within the normal parameters.
In conclusion, we can say that the simple act of expressing gratitude and recognizing ourselves and this life of which we are part of helps us to have stronger health. Gratitude is an expression of love, an attitude to practice. It gives more importance to positive emotions, which, in turn, give strength to our health and establish a very appropriate link between body and mind.
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This content is sponsored by Kelly Newborn.
Photos provided by the author.