Embracing Gratitude into our Lives for 2024

Firstly, if you have recently been having a hard time of things or everything has gone according to plan. Well done for getting this far and into a New Year of 2024 which, I hope it starts full of gratitude for all that you/we have been through good and bad.

Gratitude is a gift we can give ourselves it costs nothing at all and helps with our mindfulness. We should be grateful for all the hard work that sometimes does not produce the results we wanted but nevertheless we continue to hang in there despite the challenges.

Gratitude helps us to refocus on what is important and what we already have instead of what we lack. Although it may feel difficult at first to practice gratitude with practice this make you aware of a happier place to be mentally, spiritually and has helped me personally to balance my emotions when I forget what day of the week it is or am having an off day. Which happens to us all.

Sometimes our lack of gratitude can alure us in our subconscious mind to an essence of being incomplete or that something is off or broken. This is not the case. For when we express gratitude, we have a sense of peace being restored. So, one breath at a time and one step at a time in every way and every day for nothing lasts forever. Most of our troubles are in our own subconscious and a change in our thought processing can make for a better day. I find my rest in just taking a few deep breaths.

So, I have recently been reading the story of Sisyphus who had harsh punishment from the gods in Greek mythology. Zeus condemned Sisyphus to a never-ending punishment in Tartarus, the lowest level of Hades (Hell in Greek mythology). He was sentenced to spent eternally with wrestling a giant boulder up a mountain. Every time, just as the boulder was at the crest on the top of the mountain. Ending his labour. It would slip from Sisyphus grasp, crushing and rolling down to the bottom of the mountain. He would need to climb back down. To get behind the boulder once more and repeat the struggle of pointless endeavouring labour each day.

All of us go through this at some point in our life but we can with a little mindfulness and well-being stop these thoughts in our head, heart, and soul by remembering a few simple rules.

There are 3 simple steps which can help you to start feeling more grateful and appreciative of the good things in our lives.

Notice all the good things, look for them in signs like we look for robins, butterflies, and feathers to link us to our loved one and the spirit realms.
Savour, and delight and pay attention to all the good things we are grateful for.
Express gratitude for yourself and write a journal to assist you in your goals. Things to look back over of which had helped us in our decision making.
Remember to thank others and in thanking others we receive gratitude back in abundance.

So, we remember the five pillars of gratitude:

Sincerity
Empathy
Self-love and regard
Integrity
Humanity

So, the best way to show gratitude is to accept both joy and happiness and not judge our moral, emotional, or spiritual conduct, but to accept we all have faults. Accept them as part of life’s journey.

Here are a few quotes to assist you in your everyday thoughts, which hope you enjoy and have helped me in various parts of my life to gain more clarity.

When we lose one blessing, another is often. Most unexpected given in its place - C.S. Lewis
Gratitude is the ability right to experience life as a gift. It liberates us from the prison of our self-preoccupation - John Ortberg.
Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow - Melody Beatty.
Those who are not grateful soon begin to complain of everything - Thomas Merton.
Silent gratitude isn't much use to anyone - Gertrude Stein.
I am happy because I'm grateful. I choose to be grateful. That gratitude allows me to be happy - Will Arnett
We express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them - John F Kennedy.
We learn about gratitude and humanity that so many people had a hand in our success - Michelle Obama.
When we eat fruit, remember the one who planted the tree? - Asian proverb.
Gratitude is the divine emotion. It fills the heart, but not the bursting. It warms it, but not to fever - Charlotte Bronte.
It’s a funny thing about life, Once you begin to take notice of the things you are grateful for, you begin to lose sight of the things that you lack - German Kent.