Gratitude will Change Your Life.

We all know gratitude to be an emotion in which we express appreciation for the things we have. When you are showing or expressing gratitude you ignore the ‘i wish I had’ thoughts and thank god for what you do have. But, how many of us practice gratitude on a daily basis?
The sad truth is, not many people give thanks for what they have without thinking of what they do not have. This practice has also been enhanced with the social media era which often causes people to be in constant comparison. (I wish I had a house like that. I wish I looked like him/her). I wish, I wish, I wish. I want, I want, I want.
Well, I WANT you to turn I want into I HAVE. Because guess what? You do Have.
Things everyone reading this post has:

• LIFE
• EYES to see what I have written and/or EARS to hear what I have written and/or FINGERS to feel what I have written.
• INTERNET and DEVICES
• Someone who LOVES you (I Love you)
• Someone who will HELP you as best they can if they can (I will)
• Someone who CARES (I CARE)
• A GOD who watches over you and protects you (If that is your belief)
• The ABILITY to HEAL
• FRIENDS and/or FAMILY

Things Majority of people reading this has

• a ROOF over your head
• FOOD in your belly, cupboard or fridge
• WATER to drink

Now, After listing the things you do have, most people will go on to say “appreciate what you have because others do not have”. Whilst this is true, I for one don’t feel I need to tell you that. You see, gratitude is not something that comes naturally to us (humans). We weren’t made with a gratuity button. Being grateful is a skill, one that requires practice and effort. But, it is worth it.  Below I will list a few benefits of gratitude then I will tell you some simple ways to practice it.

Benefits of Gratitude 
By being grateful you will ultimately be happier. Thing is when you focus on what you have there is nothing to be sad about. Frankly, you will believe that you have it all. Once this is unlocked then you have all the benefits to gain.

• People will like you more.
  • When I say people, I mean the people who matter to you. Nobody likes the person that complains all the time (I know because I was that person)
• You will like you more
  •  Expressing gratitude has the power to boost your self-esteem. This is because you will feel like you are enough and have enough. When you are grateful you will stop thinking stupid things like “That’s a handout, I don’t take handouts”. Gratitude will make you take kindness at face value, no hidden agenda.
• Gratitude will improve your mood
  •  To prove this, I challenge you to write 5 things you are grateful for each day. If your mood doesn’t change then I owe you 1 wish. Connect with me on Instagram to claim it. Yes, you can connect with me either way. I’d love to hear if it works.
• Gratitude reduces feelings of envy
• It will Improve your career and personal relationships
• Gratitude will improve your health and help you to live a longer life
  • Believe it or not, a lot of health concerns can be linked to stress. Reduce your stress levels and your health will improve ( Yes 1+1=2)

Now there and many other benefits of gratitude. Feel free to drop some in the comments.

Start Practicing acts of Gratitude today

• Keep a gratitude journal
• Show some love to others by paying a compliment
• Convert negative thoughts into positive thoughts (turn I CAN’T into I CAN)
• Instead of focusing on the bad situation, ask yourself what is this teaching me?
  • Your struggles will make you who you are. Learn from them because they won’t last.

  • God will never let what you’ve lost, be the best you’ve ever had – Sprinkle of Jesus

• Stop complaining! Easier said than done but earlier I did say:

  • Gratitude requires practice

• Be happy for people. Genuinely.
• Forgive yourself
  • You are not your past!
  • You are not the decisions you’ve made.
  • You are not that one bad thing that happened to you.

  •  Everyone has at least one flaw. Accept yourself.

• Celebrate yourself
• Stop comparing yourself to people on social media
  • EVERYBODY has problems. They might not show it so don’t go thinking people on social media are perfect. Their profile seems real and perfect but so does Photoshop.
•  Eat one healthy thing per week
  • Show some gratitude for the wonderful produce that’s available for us to enjoy.

Just as there are more benefits, there are more ways to express gratitude. Again, feel free to leave some in the comments below.
That’s’ all folks. Thank you so much for reading.

You are beautiful and my purpose is simply to remind you. Faith n’ Turtles.

So, for this week, I motivate you to express more gratitude. I am grateful for life, family, friends, and food! What are you grateful for?