The importance of practising gratitude

Gulf Today Report

You may have noticed that your mind often dwells on things that you do not possess or things that are not going well in your life, and seldom on what is going well, or what you own, and that is how worry and fear creeps in, says Life Coach Luke Coutinho in a report on Indo-Asian News Service.

There are a whole host of things in life to be grateful for; health, home, jobs, children, relationships, access to clean food and water etc., contends the Integrative and Lifestyle Medicine coach.

In fact, gratitude is powerful and said to be one of the quickest ways to feel happier.

But what if you are struggling to find things to be grateful for? What if your gratitude doesn't come easily to you?

And even if you do find things to be grateful for like your job or family, what if it isn't leaving you with a feeling of pleasantness it should ideally.

Sometimes practicing gratitude can feel like a struggle, especially in times like today when there are worries and uncertainty all around.

Most people complain about how their minds dwell on problems not resolved, opportunities missed out on, relationships lost, promises not kept, poor health, faded dreams, and fears of an uncertain future, regrets, and longings.

But there are many things in life to be grateful for and the key lies in recognising them.

Here's what you can do:

Adopt a practice of reflection and then gradually move to gratitude.

Reflection is practice when you sit in silence and start reflecting on everything you have in life in detail.

You cover the minutest of details like a cup of coffee you received this morning, the way you felt when you woke up, the birds chirp you heard, the compliments you received, the hug you got, the child you saw smiling, the giggle you hear, and so on.

When you begin the process of reflecting, you go into the smallest details of life which are often missed in this fast-paced life.

Through deep reflection, we understand and are able to think of all these little details of life that matter and that puts us in a position to offer gratitude more easily.

When we mindlessly practice gratitude, it might not work.

So first begin reflecting and while you are in the process of reflecting you will very naturally find so many things come up in your mind that will make you feel thankful for.

This will add so much sense and power to your existence. So give this practice a shot and reap the benefits of feeling grateful.