Have an attitude of gratitude...

Sometimes it is difficult to take a moment to express how thankful you are for all the blessings you have in life. Else, you don’t pay attention to show how thankful you are to all those who have done you good. There is never enough time in the day for all of your obligations, from family and friends to work and minding your personal commitments. The list of things to do gets longer and longer everyday! However, you must find time to stop for a moment and thank the people who make a difference in your life.

Thank you, it sounds “I’m grateful” to what you have done for me. This phrase signifies an expression of gratitude, used to tell someone that you are thankful or grateful for what one has given you or done something for you. In other cases, it is expressed to politely accept or refuse something that has been offered to you. John F Kennedy, a former US president, said, “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them”.

How often do you thank others? Is it something you do very often as a habit or just once in a blue moon? Do you really mean it, is it sincerely expressed with emotions or just uttered as a routine thanks? Do you usually recognise when you should thank people? Do you know the power of a heartfelt thank you? Do you remember how it feels when someone appreciates or thanks you? A serious and effective thanks and gratitude should come from the bottom of heart. It has been said that gratitude is the fairest blossom that springs from the soul.

To experience the real feeling and meaning of gratitude, you need to realise the impact that “thank you” makes when addressed to you? On the other hand, how would you feel to express your thanks and gratitude to someone else?! Is the phrase “Thank You” listed in your communication bank of words? Is it something that you express when communicating with family, colleagues, friends and others whom you communicate with? “Thank You” is a therapy and a dose of happiness that we all need every now and then; either at home, office or public. It is highly and mostly needed.

Being thankful and expressing your gratitude is very essential to be happy in life. Finding the proper way to thank others for their generosity or reminding ourselves of how much we have to be thankful can be pleasing. Expressing gratitude can strengthen relationships, improve your outlook, lower your blood pressure and keep you focused and self-assured. It also helps building trust and closer ties with people around us.

Practicing gratitude has proven to be one of the most reliable methods for increasing happiness and life satisfaction. It boosts feelings of optimism, joy, pleasure, enthusiasm, and other positive emotions. It further serves as a therapy reducing anxiety and depression; a little of gratitude can go a very long way. Gratitude is the sign of noble souls for kindness is a language, which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.

Another side of gratitude is that one must be thankful for what he has on his plate. This is not about what you have in your pocket that makes you thankful, rather what you have in your heart. One should always be thankful and grateful as William Shakespeare advised, “O Lord that lends me life, lend me a heart replete with thankfulness.” If there is a person in your life whom you are thankful for, don't let the sun go down without saying thank you to him or her.