P – Pray, be grateful!

Gratitude is one of the best ways to bring happiness into our life.

Just thanking the Universe for everything it has blessed us with, makes us feel so fortunate for living the life we do!

All you need to do, is look around you and you will know how truly blessed you are.

Last evening, as I strolled at a park with my closest friend, as we discussed Life, we realized how much difference it made having all that we had with us – the good and also the not-so-good.

GRATITUDE IS THE KEY TO HAPPINESS:

Our parents, our close friends, our health, our work, the ability to fulfill our dreams, all of these bring boundless happiness into our life.

As also, the things that go wrong, the problems that arrive unannounced, the broken dreams and shattered joys, all of these teach us so much about life and helps transform us into better versions of ourselves…

Sending a quick prayer of gratitude for all of these fills us with a sense of peace and hope that life is beautiful!

The peace and happiness that we experience leaves us overwhelmed.

Since some time now, I have started a new practice– of giving thanks to my Creator for all the problems I have had to face.

The worst of the worse situations I went through, the pain, the agony, the health isses, financial crisis…all of it.

It’s because of those problems that I learned a lot and changed myself, for the better.

It’s because of those travails I had to to through, I learned about the things that truly matter, and the things that don’t!

When we send gratitude for the difficulties we face, we realise how fortunate we are because things could have been worse!

It’s thanks to those difficulties that we could unravel the true meaning of Life, that we feel truly close to God.

It’s thanks to those difficulties that we could discover our hidden strength, meet the people who truly care about us, and gain an understanding of things for the way they are.

And when we send gratitude for the things that work out for us, we realise how truly blessed we are!

We realise how beautiful life is and how we ought to cherish the world we live in.

PRACTICING GRATITUDE WITH A DIFFERENCE:

Every night, think of 3 things that did not work out as you planned, or things that stressed you.

Next, jot down what you learned from your experience. You could even just reflect on it, there’s no need to write it all. Just 15 minutes of reflection on the day would suffice.

And, finally, be grateful for those problems, those stresses. It will seem difficult being thankful for the tension in your world, but trust me, when you think hard about it, you will notice how blessed you truly are!

THIS is what I mean by practicing gratitude with a difference.

It’s the adversities that we, actually, need to be grateful for; we are forever grateful for all that gives us joy, but rarely for the times that test our patience and resilience.

Gratitude is definitely one of the most important ways to self-care. It’s because of all that we experience that we learn to fight, take care of ourselves and focus on what truly matters, on the bigger picture. Do you know how good this is for your mental health?

Points to ponder:

“PROBLEMS ARE LIKE WASHING MACHINES. THEY TWIST US, SPIN US AND KNOCK US AROUND. BUT, IN THE END, WE COME OUT CLEANER, BRIGHTER AND BETTER THAN BEFORE!”

So, be grateful for it all!

Love,

SHILPA…

I am participating in the April A to Z Blogging Challenge. My theme this year is, ‘SELF-CARE’. You will find all the posts here.