5 Ways to use Gratitude in your daily life

"Gratitude is the healthiest of all human emotions. The more you express gratitude for what you have, the more likely you will have even more to express gratitude for." ~ Zig Ziglar

We often tend to think of what is lacking in our lives instead of feeling happy about all that we have in our lives. It is the way we have been conditioned to think, perhaps by society, family, teachers or friends. And because it is only a thinking pattern, we can change it any day, any moment to live more fulfilling lives. 

According to the Law of Attraction, we attract those things that we constantly think about. Thoughts become things. Therefore, if we think of all the things that we have and be in a state of happiness, we will receive more things to be happy about. On the other hand, if we sulk about all the things that are lacking in our lives, we will have more things to sulk about. 

In order to change our thinking pattern, we can practice conscious daily Gratitude. It will boost our happiness and make us feel positive. Happier thoughts lead to a happy and healthy body. 

I have been using conscious Gratitude daily for over a year and it has changed the way I perceive life. Gone are those compulsive stressful and worrisome thoughts that made my days filled with anxiety. Now, I can see blessings, beauty, and positivity everywhere I look. 

I am sharing 5 ways to use Gratitude in your daily life so that you can feel happy and blissful. 

1. Count 10 blessings after you wake up in the morning

The best way to start your day is by reminding yourself of all your blessings. You can download a Gratitude App on your smartphone or do this exercise in a journal. Feel thankful for your talents, intelligence, health, home, family, friends, relationships, work, money, good health, food, water and anything that comes to your mind. Feel thankful for the marvels of Nature, music, books, movies, etc. 

When I started this exercise on my Gratitude App, initially I used to struggle in finding 10 blessings every day. But now I can find abundance of blessings. And trust me, you will find that too. 

2. End the day by feeling grateful for the best thing that happened during the day

Before you go to sleep, rewind your day in your mind and notice the best thing that happened. Say thank you for the best thing that happened during the day. With a smile and a content heart, go to sleep. Even on our worst days, there will be a ray of hope, a moment of positivity hiding somewhere that you need to find. 

When you start and end your day with gratitude, you will change the programming of your mind. Like a honeybee, you will start looking for the nectar in everything. And you will find more things to be grateful for. 

3. Feel grateful for being You

Every day, when you look at the mirror, take a moment to feel grateful for being you. It is you who is doing all the wonderful things for yourself - taking care of your health, earning a living, nurturing relationships, showing kindness to the world and so on. 

Instead of self-criticism, start being grateful for all the wonderful things that you do and have the potential to do. Be your biggest cheerleader! 

We need to love and be comfortable with the person we are living 24 7 - 'ourselves'. 

4. Make your relationships magical

Think about the 3 closest people in your life. Now, write down 5 reasons why you are grateful for each of them. When you start doing this exercise, you will feel overwhelmed with love. You can send a card to them listing the reasons why you are grateful for having them in your life. 

Often, we take our family and friends for granted. Practicing gratitude will make our relationships more magical and harmonious. 

5. Say 'thank you' before each meal

Pause for 5 seconds and say 'thank you' to the Universe before having your meal. There is the effort of so many people behind the food we consume - farmers, vegetable sellers, the person who cooks, etc. Feeling grateful towards all those people will help us enjoy our meal even more. 

As kids, we were taught to say a little prayer before having our meals. The intention was to energize the food with vibrations of gratitude. When we start feeling grateful for every meal that we have, we will train our minds to always be aware of our blessings. 

All these 5 practices have been personally tried and tested before recommending. I can vouch for the amazing results they will bring if you incorporate them into your life. Let's make 2020 a year of happiness, health, and well-being. Let's change the lens through which we look at life. Let's wear the lens of gratitude that will generate positive feelings within us.

 I wish you all a very happy, blissful, and prosperous new year!

"Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every person has plenty; not on your past misfortunes, of which all people have some." ~ Charles Dickens