The Attitude Of Gratitude

Would you like to have more friends, an optimistic, positive attitude, strong health, sleep well and earn more money?  Would you like your kids to get better grades, have better health, be less materialistic and have feelings of self satisfaction with their friends and school?  Who wouldn't want all these great things?  You can do this just by being grateful.  Cultivating gratitude and focusing on strengths is the basis for the positive psychology movement.  This movement is a form of cognitive behavioral therapy which changes a person's thought patterns.  When the thought patterns change in a positive fashion, a person's mood and attitude changes, and finally, their actions will change.  For example, focusing on good things helps one to overcome a human being's natural tendency to ruminate over injustices and annoyances.  This builds a person's strength instead of fostering depression and anger.

There are online gratitude groups and even an iPod app for gratitude journaling.  To gain the most benefit from the gratitude technique, it needs to be done daily.  One needs to be creative and focus on the positive.  This takes real self reflection.  For example, maybe your job has annoying drawbacks.  Yet, the job provides you with an opportunity to support your family with a steady paycheck, which many people do not have.  Maybe your work helps other people.  Your attitude towards the job moves from an oppression to a choice that you appreciate even with the negative aspect.

The more you exercise the gratitude technique, the easier it becomes and subsequently the benefits of good health, optimism, restful sleep and a bigger income can start to kick in.  Ayurveda has always recognized the mind body connection.  The gratitude technique is just a good way to reap those benefits.

Stay healthy & well,
Lisa