THE POWER OF GRATITUDE
Have you ever heard about Gratitude having power?
I hadn’t until recently. I found out that in many circles of psychological research, gratitude is strongly and consistently connected with happiness.
Who knew that being grateful can make you happier!
The more grateful we are, the happier we will be.
For many that might seem in reverse, one would think that once you are made happy, then you will be grateful.
The assumption seems to be that happy people are more grateful, but it’s actually the other way around.
I’m grateful, which makes me happy.
The word gratitude is derived from the Latin word gratia, which means grace.
So then, what we are really exploring is the Power of Grace!
Grace is Gratitude and Gratitude is Grace.
I’m so Grateful for the Grace that I have received. A Grace that I did nothing to deserve.
Grateful Grace is all about Goodness. The Good Things that have happened.
Quite often the good that happens takes place outside of ourselves.
In other words, someone else or something else caused it to happen.
For that I am grateful. To them I am grateful. To God I am grateful!
An Attitude of Gratitude has numerous benefits. Here are a few that came to mind.
#1 Attitude of Gratitude solicits Positive Emotions. Like peace, joy, kindness, love, and contentment.
# 2 Attitude of Gratitude helps us highlight, remember, and focus on the Positive Experiences that we have had. The good stuff.
Everything has not all been doom and gloom. There were some good times mixed in there too.
Often, what we call a bad day was more like a bad event, that we allowed it to overshadow the whole day. We must learn to refocus our day after something doesn’t go our way.
# 3 Attitude of Gratitude improves our Physical Health. Grateful thoughts help our heart by slowing down and regulating our breathing to synchronize with our heartbeat. Gratitude helps us to become Heart Healthy.
# 4 Attitude of Gratitude helps with Mental Health. Being grateful decreases anxiety, depression, and chronic headaches.
Whatever things are good, lovely, and kind, think on these things. Philp. 4:8
# 5 Attitude of Gratitude helps the Whole Person. Studies have shown that gratitude helps improves sleep, mood, and our immune system, while also reducing envy and negativity.
# 6 Attitude of Gratitude helps build and Strengthen Relationships.
When you inject gratefulness into a relationship you supply it with grace.
Grace to forgive, grace to believe, grace to hope.
The more grateful and gracious we are with ourselves, others, and God, the stronger our relationships get.
We should try and offer someone else the same undeserved grace that we receive.
The Superpower in Gratitude manifests itself whenever I shift my focus from thinking about a lack of some abundance that I don’t have, to seeing and realizing the great abundance of grace that I do have.
Let me say that again.
I tap into the Superpower of Gratitude to overcome challenges whenever I pivot or shift my thinking from focusing on an area of lack in abundance to realizing the great abundance of grace that God has given me for ALL areas of my life.
Now that’s a Superpower.
The Power of Gratitude is the Power of Fortification.
When I am Grateful, the Power of Fortification is released over my life for me to fortify, withstand, outlast, outrun, overcome, endure, and be victorious over every adversity, all emotional turmoil, and any tragedy that comes my way.
I feel my Superpower coming on!
Remaining grateful is what keeps us mentally resilient.
When those “I AINT GOT…” thoughts come, we can jump in a phone booth and shift our thinking to “Yes, But, I got grace for that!” Instant Superpower!
Throughout our life we will all experience seasons of lack of some sort. That’s natural. That’s human.
Sooner or later things won’t go our way. But there is a Grace App for that.
Through it all, God has a grace for us to overcome those times when we express an Attitude of Gratitude.
“Enjoy the little things, one day you may look back and realize they were the big things” – R. Brault
This is a Thompson Truth
