5 Ways to Cultivate an Attitude of Gratitude

Do you often find yourself complaining about the smallest things? From our extensive to do lists, the stress of our jobs or a dreadful commute, finding something wrong seems to come easily and naturally. What we don’t realize is that by waking up in the morning and finding something to gripe about, only creates more of that. Have you ever heard of the law of attraction? What you focus on, think on or dedicate energy to becomes real; you create your own reality.

What if one morning you woke up and decided to be thankful for only the good that is present in your life? By shifting to an attitude of gratitude you become aware of the simple pleasures and acknowledge the amazing gifts and blessings in your life.

Gratitude puts the events of your daily life into perspective. By viewing the good in addition to the bad, we are able to move past the complaints and break through any blockages that may have formed as a result of our negativity. Giving thanks for our lives, friends, family, and beyond makes us happy and allows us to feel free.

Just like you dedicate time to grab a latte or go to a yoga class, take the time to develop a thriving gratitude practice.

1. Start a gratitude journal.

Set aside a few moments of your day to jot down 5 things you are grateful for in a journal dedicated purely to gratitude. It can range from simply being thankful for waking up this morning or that you got to work on time. Feel how incredibly blessed you are and allow that to propel you towards greatness for the rest of the day.

2. Stop and smell the flowers.

Change the way you view your day to day buy just stopping for a moment and smelling the flowers. Catch yourself before you get overwhelmed with negative thoughts or feelings and go for a walk. Find a tree, hug that tree and be in deep gratitude for the oxygen this beautiful tree is providing to you. How does that make you feel? This can give you an opportunity to view a stressful situation in a new light.

3. Find something positive about a negative situation.

Before you get upset about what seems to be never ending traffic, take a moment to shift that negative thought into something positive. Think about the traffic as a chance to meditate or get into a calm state before going home and putting a days worth of energy into dinner.

4. Go 24 hours without complaining.

Set a new pattern by going an entire day without uttering a single complaint. Find one good thing among a dozen negative things and allow yourself to feel transformed with your new attitude.

5. Give a genuine compliment.

Share kindness and authentic praise with a friend or a stranger. This not only spreads love to another person, it uplifts you and pushes you to focus on the good about someone else and even builds strong, valuable relationships.

By integrating some of these actions of gratitude daily, you will learn what will ultimately allow you to continue to say thank you each day. What are your tips to remind yourself to have gratitude today?

Guramrit Khalsa lives, breathes, and sleeps health and wellness. Her love for wellness fuels her passion for cooking, yoga, meditation and spirituality. Guramrit is a Holistic Health Counselor, certified by the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and a graduate of the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University with a B.S. in Magazine Journalism.  Her writing offers tips on how to live holistically, joyfully and in deep gratitude.  Her first book Yogi Eats: A Delicious Journey to Nourishing Your Soul will be released in March 2015. You can learn more about Guramrit on her website or connect with her on Twitter  or Instagram.

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