Expressing gratitude

Gratitude is all about being thankful, counting your blessings and acknowledging the simple pleasures. Sometimes we get so caught up focusing on things we don't have, that we end up overlooking what we do have. I'll be honest, I'm guilty of doing this. It's only in the past year that I've learnt the importance of gratitude and how to express it.

I feel like there are so many things I might say that, without realising, sounds ungrateful. I’ll be having a little rant wishing for things to be better, but in doing this, I don’t recognise or appreciate what I have. Of course, it’s never intentional, no-one ever means to sound ungrateful or cause any harm by complaining, our natural reaction is to vent which is completely normal and allowed. (I mean, who am I to tell you what is and isn’t allowed anyway) However, it’s important that in these moments, you try to remember that there is so much to be grateful for and honestly you will see a huge change in your mood.

Don’t get me wrong, I know it feels good to just get things off your chest. But does it not make you feel worse at times? Your emotions are still all over the place and your mind is in a negative state, you’re focusing your energy on the bad instead of the good. So instead, find something to be grateful for in the situation. Say if you've had a bad day at work, remind yourself that you have a job, a salary and you're gaining experience and skills. By showing this gratitude, you will feel so much more satisfied.

Let's be real, we've all defo had our moments and tantrums about Covid and being stuck in lockdown. We can't see friends, family, or just go out and socialise. It's not been easy for anyone, our lifestyle changed so much in the blink of an eye and we had no choice but to adapt, so of course we'll show frustration and want to vent. But, I think about it and I'm like, imagine the people who have always had to live their life like this. Some people can't leave their house, or even move without help. And yeah, you might be thinking I'm deeping it too much or whatever, but it's true. There are so many people who have suffered during this time, whether its physically, mentally or anything else. At times like this, it is so important to just stop and reflect on everything and appreciate how blessed and grateful we are.

FYI I'm not trying to make anyone feel guilty. We all face different problems and challenges, which will always remain valid, no matter how little or big. It’s just a little reminder to be grateful for anything and everything in your life. Your surroundings, the people around you, material things, nature, literally anything.

Another thing we (I say we but I might be the only one lol) might do is look at what others have, and compare it to our own life. I read this in Vex King's book "we also tend to compare ourselves to those we consider more fortunate to us, rather than those who are less fortunate". It's so true! You could be scrolling through gram, see someone flexing with the new iPhone or something (probably could've picked a better example ngl) and you're like, I want that. Which again is normal. But just think, there are some people who don't even have a phone, so be grateful that you do, whether it's a Nokia 360 or a Samsung! Don't get consumed in thinking about what’s lacking in your life because there are people out there who desire what you have, so always be grateful.

I think I learnt the importance of gratitude more recently because let's face it, it's not been the easiest of times. But nonetheless, I'm thankful to be surrounded by my family, I'm thankful I can go on walks and most importantly, I'm thankful for mine and my family's health. Yeah it's not nice that we can't go back to living our normal lives, seeing our friends and going out but there's people out there that have it much harder and it makes me realise how blessed I am. My life isn't perfect (then again, what really defines 'perfect'), things could be better right now, but I'm grateful for so much. The more gratitude you show for something, the more of it you'll get in return. Even now when I pray, I don't ask for anything, but instead show gratitude for things in my life and I feel so much more satisfied.

Just to reiterate, I'm really not trying to make anyone feel bad about anything and I'm sorry if it's coming across this way. At the end of the day, we are all human, we have feelings and emotions and are allowed to express them. But when you are feeling low about something, I highly recommend finding gratitude in the situation. Even when you're not feeling low, practise daily gratitude and make it a habit. It really is a simple and effective way to transform your life.

When I started, I was finding it hard to think of things to be grateful for. Obviously, the main ones are; being grateful for family and friends, a roof over your head, food etc but the more I practised, the more I learnt you can show gratitude for anything. Even if it is a cup of tea you had in the morning or a conversation you had with someone, you can be thankful. There's always something to be grateful for.

I could've made this post fancier by adding in some facts and numbers (you can tell I'm a finance kinda gal) but given that there's scientific evidence to prove gratitude is beneficial says it all! Therefore, I suggest that you guys grab a pen and paper or make a mental note of 5 things you're grateful for right now. I'm going to end this post by saying 1 thing I'm grateful for, and that's you. I'm grateful to you for reading this post and showing me support, so thank you.

Lots of love,

V x

Photo creds: @Pinterest