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You’ve probably heard that having a grateful attitude goes hand in hand with having a happier, more satisfying life.
But cultivating an attitude of gratitude is far easier said than done.
All too often when life throws us curve balls or things don’t go as planned, this mindset of appreciation quickies fades. We find ourselves playing the blame game, comparing ourselves to others, and wishing for things we don’t have.
When this happens, it’s difficult to focus on what we already have and what we should be grateful for.
However, there are a few beliefs that you can start incorporating into your belief system that may help you to roll with the punches a little better, and to help maintain that attitude of gratitude even when you’re struggling.
Here are 5 things all grateful people firmly believe in.
5 Things All Grateful People Firmly Believe In
1. I can learn something from everyone. Everyone you come across during your day, whether it’s the child in the store that waved at you, or the person who cut you off in traffic, teaches you something. The trick is to find that lesson and appreciate it. For the kid that waved at you, maybe that wave was a reminder for you to slow down, to live in the present moment as children do. For the person that cut you off, more than likely they’re not a selfish jerk, but simply rushing to be somewhere, and provided you with the opportunity to practice your patience. This is not always the easiest mindset to adopt; however it will help you to become a stronger, wiser, and more empathetic person.
2. Life isn’t a competition. It’s all too easy to look at others and compare yourself to see who’s ahead or behind, and to be resentful of others. People that practice gratitude though don’t see life as a competition. Rather, they recognize that life is a journey for everyone, but that journey differs from person to person. They don’t see the need to compare themselves to others when it would be like comparing apples to oranges. They realize that we are all fortunate in different ways, but that we must firstly and only recognize and appreciate our own blessings.
3. I may not have all that I want, but I’m lucky to have what I need. If life was perfect, we would all have everything we want. But alas, life is not perfect and neither are we. While it’s good to have higher goals and ambitions to work towards, we often forget to be thankful for what we already have, which creates this sense of not having “enough.” This builds the foundation for insecurities, and paves the way for negative comparisons to others, which in turn robs us of our joy and self-worth. Don’t let yourself become a victim of this negative thought pattern, and choose to be thankful for what you’ve been blessed with. For example, having a home to go to at the end of the day, food to eat, people to lean on, and the ability to pursue your own happiness are all things we forget to show gratitude for.
4. There is always a lesson within every challenge. When you get laid off at your work, broken up with, or you lose someone close to you, it’s likely that the last thing you’ll be thinking is, “How can I learn from this?” While you shouldn’t ignore your emotions that will naturally surface with challenges like these, you’ll find it’s far easier to heal if you can see what good things have come from them. Maybe getting laid off shed light on where you’d like to go with your career. Or maybe your recent breakup is an opportunity for you to get to know yourself better. There is always an opportunity to learn and gain something from every challenge, but you have to be willing to seek, or even create it for yourself.
5. It’s the little things that matter most. So much of our lives revolve around big events. Getting the right job. Finding “the one.” Getting married. Getting that promotion. Buying a house. Although these are all wonderful, worthy pursuits, we often forget to live for those smaller, less momentous events. For example, sharing a laugh with friends over coffee, the smell of your mom’s cooking, or going on a date night with your spouse are all events that might not be groundbreaking, but are what matters most and make up most of your life. Choose to appreciate these moments.
