7 Fundamental Ways Gratitude Can Change Your Life forever
- Helena Grazie Calderon
- Jan 9, 2022
- 10 min read
I sometimes used to feel ungrateful for what I had a long time ago. I never realized how vital thankfulness was until everything was taken away from me, and I was left penniless, friendless, and despairing. During that time in my life, I learned a lot about the value of gratitude.
Isn't it, however, simple to be ungrateful these days? It's simple to fantasize about things we don't have. I'd go so far as to argue that it's woven into our society's basic fabric. Consumerism is embedded directly into the fabric. Everywhere we look, we're reminded of how little we have instead of how much we have to be thankful for.

It's easy to be ungrateful in a society dominated by the haves opposing the have-nots when money is all-powerful and serves to epitomize the appealing aspects of life like liberty, security, and power. It's easy to become disillusioned and forget to be grateful when you've worked persistently to no avail, unable to advance in life, especially after experiencing the sorrow of failure or financial upheaval.
If you're now in that circumstance, don't worry; we've all been there. There are, however, ways in which we might be grateful for what we have. Gratitude is, in fact, one of the most straightforward paths to success. What is the issue? Most people base their pleasure and appreciation on their accomplishments rather than using them as a platform.
"Why is it so vital to have thankfulness in your life?" I recently questioned myself. Over time, I discovered that thankfulness had revolutionized my life. But it wasn't until I had significant failures in life that I realized all the things I had to be grateful for. For me, the lessons learned from those mistakes were crucial.
For me, failure helped to establish the value of thankfulness. It allowed me to see things from a different perspective, to perceive everything in a new light. If you've failed at something or aren't enjoying the life you think you deserve, keep the faith. Keep your spirits up because there is a light in the dark.
I've realized that whatever outcomes we've generated, goals we've accomplished (or failed to meet), decisions we've taken, and where we've ended up has everything practically to do with attention, regardless of the nature or quality of our lives. While some things are beyond our power, much of what we experience due to our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors is a conditioned reaction to our attention.
That is also why it is critical to be grateful no matter what is going on in your life. Even if your life is in shambles and your whole world is falling apart around you, you must remain glad. Gratitude, weird as it may seem, is the surest path to both happiness and fulfillment.
How Gratitude Can Help You Live a Happier Life
Every morning, the first thing I do when I wake up, which is nearly always between 3 and 4 a.m., is to take a seat in front of my laptop and write up my daily gratitude list. "Today I Am Grateful For," it always begins. What's the fun part? When I make my gratitude list each morning, I am reminded of how much I have to be thankful for.
We all accept some elements as usual, almost as though they are self-evident realities. It's there, whether it's the shelter that we have, the meal on our plates, or the attire on our backs, and we always anticipate it. However, for many people around the world, it does not exist. They don't have access to the necessities of life. Food, water, and shelter are only a few of the needs.
My list, on the other hand, begins much more simply. I'm glad for the air I breathe, the heartbeat that allows the circulation of blood in my chest, the cells in my body, and every living molecule and fiber in my body that is working to keep me alive. From time to time, we overlook those things. Unless, of course, these things are jeopardized.
Gratitude may transform your life by teaching you to value what you have instead of what you lack. Gratitude can change your life because it is the most potent source of motivation available to everyone who takes the time to appreciate the simple beauty and marvel of life.
Perhaps I'm in the odd when I claim that thankfulness has the power to transform your life. Maybe I'm one of the only people out there who genuinely believe that becoming grateful for all of your life, including your troubles, may lead to a dramatic shift. Or perhaps not.
Maybe numerous others hear the tiny whisper within their heads telling them that they need to be grateful, but they don't listen. But I'll let you know this: practicing genuine thankfulness has profoundly transformed my life. I went from being a cynic and pessimist who doubted everything to an optimistic addict motivated by a deep-down appreciation for everything.
The importance of appreciation cannot be overstated, regardless of what school of thought you're in. There are particular reasons why thankfulness can transform your life. Amazing things will start happening for you over time if you pay attention to them and understand the message further than the words.
I'm a real, walking example of how thankfulness can transform your life and produce significant outcomes. But don't take my word for it. This school of thought is followed by some of the world's most successful people. They feel, deep down, that the route to success, whichever interpretation it may take for you, is always to be grateful for what you have now, right now, at this very minute, instead of what you don't.
1. Gratitude changes your perspective.
Gratitude redirects your focus, which is one of the ways it may change your life. Life is all about focusing, as you can see. We gravitate towards whatever we concentrate on. We perceive more of that when we are in a condition of scarcity and negativity. When you're focused on something, it's easy to see it from a negative perspective. When your mind is usually tuned toward that, it's simple to notice all the troubles that surround a scenario.
As a result, even when issues develop, it's easier to perceive life in a better light. If you've ever met someone who is always upbeat, you know how true this remark is. They seek the glimmer of hope in every event, even when things go wrong. If they can't identify one, they declare that whatever they're going through will eventually become positive.
But appreciation isn't just about being a happy person; it can transform your life by infusing happiness into everything you do. It's a massive shift in perspective, a novel way of viewing things that includes a wild-eyed enthusiasm for everything's beauty. In every sense, you go from living in a condition of scarcity to living in a place of utter abundance.
Still, this isn't something that happens overnight. This adjustment in focus takes time and consistent mental retraining. It does, however, happen. You may quickly transition from a negative to a positive mindset by writing down all things you have to be thankful for daily. The important thing is to write everything down. It becomes more accurate when you write it down rather than just thinking about it.
2. It enhances your standard of living
The simple and basic behavior of appreciation can benefit your mental health and fitness and mental fortitude, spiritual ability, and physical strength. Gratitude has the power to transform your life by literally boosting its value. You are the sum of your parts, and thankfulness may help each one of those small bits flourish.
Gratitude has been related to life satisfaction in several studies, and it's no secret that individuals who are thankful for things are happier. Once you can recognize the importance of elements of life, no matter what style, size, or form factor they take on, there is a sense of good stability.
Many others, on the other hand, attribute this to their success. They believe that being grateful is simple for successful people since they have so much to be thankful for. It isn't about money, jobs, vehicles, or homes, or anything else for that matter. Do you think these items help you live a better life? Sure. Maybe. Money, on the other hand, can lead to more issues.
Thankfulness is not about having a lot of money; happiness must come before having a lot of money. When it doesn't, people can spiral out of control. Sudden Wealth Syndrome can set in, and it's simple to see why so many lotto winners and inheritance recipients become bankrupt in a short amount of time after receiving a windfall of wealth.
3. Gratitude makes you feel better.
Gratitude can make you happier, which is one way it can transform your life. Gratitude has been proven to make you happier in your studies. Dr. Robert A. Emmons of the University of California and Dr. Michael E. McCullough of the University of Miami are two psychologists who have spent much of their careers researching the impacts of gratitude.
In one experiment, researchers invited many participants to submit a few phrases about a specific topic every week. One group was given the task of writing about things that made them unhappy. Another was given the task of writing about items they were grateful for. The control group was told to write about whatever had happened, with no emphasis on being favorable or unfavorable.
What were the outcomes? The group who were told to write about things they were appreciative of were considerably happier and more optimistic about their lives than those who were told to write about unpleasant events. It's natural to be pleased about life when we appreciate what we have. You become more aware of what you have than what you lack.
When you're grateful, it's much simpler to go about your day in the sense of gratitude than when you're not. Since we all have a Life satisfaction Breakpoint or a baseline amount of happiness, this isn't always straightforward. We feel unhappy or joyful when that boundary is passed in one manner or another. It is also known as the Life satisfaction Conveyor. It is often linked to the insatiable desire to amass goods that provide temporary pleasure but do not provide long-term happiness.
4. Gratitude alleviates your deepest fears.
Because it's difficult to be scared and thankful simultaneously, one obvious way gratitude can transform your life is by lessening your fears. We get afraid of when we're left to think about things we don't have control over. When we're in a condition of anxiety, we extrapolate the worst-case situations and imagine our future predicament and eventual demise.
Fear, on the other hand, can be overcome by being appreciative. Fear has no place in our brains when we're entirely grateful for everything we have, especially our problems. We're living in a condition of scarcity rather than abundance when we're afraid of things that place us in a state of limitation, such as not being able to afford to pay our expenses or put food in our refrigerator.
On the other hand, being appreciative puts you in a position of abundance. It instills the concept that you should be grateful for what you have right now instead of stressing about what you don't have or won't have at some point in the future. We frequently save our thanks for one day a year, Thanksgiving. We ponder why we aren't thankful for any other day of the year on that day.
After all, why not? Why can't we be thankful for everything year-round? Why does it take a day designated for showing gratitude for us to stop and give thanks honestly? By being appreciative every day, we can eliminate many of our concerns. Decide right now that you'll start practicing gratitude every day and write down all you have to be thankful for, and observe as your concerns fade away.
5. It improves and strengthens your faith.
Gratitude can help you live a happier and more fulfilled life by reinforcing your faith. Gratitude may build and enhance your trust and belief in whichever faith or religion you subscribe to, whether it's God, Allah, Buddha, or even that mystical unity that links us all to one another for all you agnostics out there.
Those who are appreciative have a profound appreciation for the things that come their way. It's almost as if it's built into the fabric of their existence. As a result, their steadfast belief in everything grows stronger.
Gratitude alters your faith by imparting the notion that you're not alone and that whatever you're going through will pass, and you'll emerge victorious on the other side. You'll achieve your objectives, conquer your challenges, and grow as a person, becoming more understanding and even empathic to others' situations.
As a result of everything, you'll look for ways to help civilization and your fellow countrymen, woman, and kid. You'll look for possibilities since you recognize that what you have is genuinely sufficient and that your primary focus must shift to assisting others. Proper spiritual illumination begins at that point.
6. Gratitude provides peace of mind.
When you're sincerely grateful for something, you build an inner belief. It gives you sound calmness, the kind that you don't have when you live in a world where certain things are expected of you. If you've ever observed people who have unrealistic expectations of life or who try to sway the will of others for personal gain, you'll notice feeble-minded people who don't get very far.
There is a growing admiration for those who can remain modest despite their spectacular climb to fortune, popularity, or stardom. Because they've had to suffer and overcome the heartbreak and sorrow of failure and defeat, many of the world's most successful people have a strong sense of humility.
Because they've experienced that other life and had to wade through rivers of pain, they've learned to be appreciative by not accepting things for granted. Successful people have a certain modesty and empathy implanted in their hearts because they have had to put up with a lot of loss before tasting the delicious victory of success.
But it all began with a grateful attitude that aided in installing good peace of mind. It was on this foundation that success was built. Not by expecting things to happen. Not by sly deception or deceitful behavior. Through goodwill, great vibrations, and a desire to benefit society by first being appreciative, regardless of the circumstances.
7. It motivates you to achieve your objectives.
I am a firm believer in the practice of goal-setting. When you create objectives correctly, you can achieve almost everything you set your mind to, not in a few weeks or even months, but over years of continuous and relentless action. And one of the ways thankfulness can transform your life is by motivating you to achieve your objectives.
Gratitude assists you in succeeding by first establishing an internal success platform. You can reach your goals without that much outside interruption if you are happy, healthy, and healthy in your mind, body, and soul. However, if you don't have these things because you're dissatisfied with your present situation, you'll be stuck in a cycle of pessimism and lack, making it difficult to go forward.
How can you possibly drive diligently toward objectives that are possible years in the future from being a reality when you're so focused on what's wrong with your life? You can't do it. We are more likely to become sidetracked, squander energy, and participate in activities that obstruct rather than assist us.
By developing this practice in the morning, you'll be able to build a foundation of thankfulness. Incorporate it into your morning routine by documenting all you have to be grateful for 5 minutes on paper. Write down whatever it is, even if it's only the fact that you're six feet above the ground, and then embrace that experience.
That is how appreciation can transform and change your life. It does not, however, happen overnight. Nothing significant and that has any values ever does.
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