Are You as Happy as You Want to Be?
One way to measure how happy we are is to observe or judge our personal life experiences compared with our happiness goals. If the gap is large, we might say we have less life satisfaction. What if we could alter these perceptions by simply adding one ten-minute exercise daily? Practicing gratitude by doing varied exercises daily will change how you view your experiences. Gratitude journaling brings positive changes. According to happiness research, not only can cognitive processes be positively changed, but they provide more happiness as well. In this article, you will learn the powerful gratitude exercise to whom and for what and welcome the three keys to feeling more grateful.
Gratitude Works
Robert Emmons, in his book, Gratitude Works, explains the enormous benefits of a gratitude journaling practice. We can be grateful for specific events, but we become thankful for the acts of a person. One of the seven exercises Emmons’ describes is designed to focus on beauty received from a person or God.
In this exercise, to whom and for what, the focus is on thinking of someone you are thankful for and the specific gift you received.
Consider the source or provider of something you benefited. Was a coworker generous with their time to assist you in a task? Did your spouse or partner extend kindness to you that was helpful?
Did your friend or friends do something meaningful? I purpose to recognize being thankful for the person and giving thanks to God for the good that allowed the blessing to come. It is comforting to know that there is a force that is bigger than me.
To Whom or For What Gratitude Journaling Exercise
Examine the events of the day, big or small.
Recall up to five events for which you are grateful.
Include who provided the gift that you are grateful.
Use this format: I am grateful for ______________for ______________.
Take a moment to let it rest in your heart and feel the appreciation for each.
Do this on days two, nine, and sixteen.
Gratitude Is Virtue
Gratitude is a virtue and requires choosing to honor someone or something as a recipient of a gift. Virtues are positive qualities originating from the Latin word Virtus or strength. Having the virtue of gratitude provides a sturdy foundation for other desirable attributes. As the Roman philosopher, Cicero proclaimed: “Gratitude is not only the greatest of the virtues but the parent of all others.”
Gratitude is in excellent company with core cross-cultural virtues such as courage, justice, humanity, temperance, transcendence, and wisdom. In their colossal volume of Virtues and Character Strengths, Peterson and Seligman provide an excellent guide to the sanities or where humans do well. As the father of positive psychology, Dr. Seligman expanded the psychological study to include the notion of looking at positive traits that people have rather than a deviation that points to potential illness.
Gratitude is a Skill
The takeaway is simple: gratitude, like other virtues, can be cultivated, grown, and expanded. Having more happiness and life satisfaction can be achieved just by practicing. When we focus on integrity and strengths, we are less likely to see what might be troublesome and difficult.
Three Keys to Be More Grateful
Be in the Moment
Mindfulness is all the rage right now with good reason; when we are in the moment, we don’t have anxiety or regret. We aren’t complaining. We feel calm, collected, and everything is good. How many times have you been the recipient of something meaningful to you? Like the rest of us mere humans, maybe you glossed over the event without notice. Perhaps you took more time to look at something annoying? Be in the moment and gaze longer at what is good.
Permit Yourself to Grow in Gratitude
Maybe your judgment of your level of gratefulness falls short of your ideal level. You may be interested in a fast track to some of the benefits of gratitude, such as stronger personal relationships, increased sense of well-being, better mood, increased confidence, and increased energy. Perhaps you have a bit of impatience with yourself that you haven’t mastered this skill yet.
Permit yourself to be in the process of learning and gaining. You are reading this says you are more than interested in advancing your level of happiness. With time, you will witness real-time gains; your mindset shift will unfold as you practice. The most critical piece of any practice is self-kindness and compassion.
Some of us are more likely to see the stuff that annoys us more readily. Of course, we should know better, be better, act more kindly, yes!!! But as in the skill of communication, being grateful takes time to develop optimally. We all start somewhere, start with acknowledging that changes are in order and kindly move forward in practicing the exercises. In time, your natural inclination will surprise you.
Share Your Gratitude Journal Journey
As a therapist and wellness coach, I am obsessed with learning to share with others. Once I share something and transfer the information, it is as though the beauty of that information becomes so much more a part of me. It also helps me to join my experiences with the new information. When we share and teach a valuable concept, the lesson is richly blessed. The act of giving through our sharing experience becomes a platform for other sharing and blessings. Tell a friend or family member what you are learning.
To Whom and For What Gratitude Journaling Exercise
In this article, we discussed the process of this great exercise that allows for attention to someone for a gift or kindness given. We stop and do this exercise on days two, nine, and sixteen. Switch up the practice of gratitude journaling with the three blessings, the gratitude letter, the gifted self, looking to the future, the absence of blessing, and bad to good exercises. Remember to set aside ten minutes a day to devote to this powerful virtue so that you experience greater happiness, well-being, and life satisfaction. You learned how to do the To Whom and For What Gratitude Journaling Exercise and the Three Keys to Feeling More Gratitude
Join Our 21 Day Gratitude Journal Challenge
Fill up the form below to download your FREE Guide on How to Start a Gratitude Journal Challenge!
