Happy Living Tip #4: “Start a Daily Gratitude Diary!”

gopimenon May 11th, 2009

Well Friends,

Here I am again with another useful tip for Happy Living.   I know that at times it is very difficult to feel grateful, when everything seems to be going wrong.  But it is exactly when things don’t seem to be going right that we have to exercise our `gratitude muscles’.

  • Let’s take the following worst case scenario of a 30 year old male, say John:   John has just arrived at his office late after struggling through one of the worst traffic jams.   Then he gets the news that he has been retrenched!  He also receives a final notice saying his car will be repossessed within 14 days.  Then there is a call from his credit card company, politely reminding him that he is behind in the monthly payment.  He checks his emails and there is a `Dear John’ letter waiting from his long time girl friend!  What a day!
  • Now if at that time I were to tell John to count his blessings, he would be excused for trying to strangle me!

When he calms down I tell him “John, I know you have had a lousy day.  But think about this for a minute.  You can hear me when I talk can’t you (you are not deaf); you can see me (you are not blind);  you can walk over to me and try to strangle me (you are not cripple);  your mental faculties are intact and you are also healthy, aren’t you?   So you are so much better off than the thousands or millions of people who are not as lucky as you!”

    “For all you know this retrenchment might be a fabulous chance for you to go after your dreams, rather than struggle daily in a frustrating job.   In a couple of months you would have settled all your outstanding bills and be looking forward to life!  Perhaps you will meet your soulmate, now that you are free of your old girl friend. “
    But all these can only happen, if you are in a happy frame of mind.  If you are in a dejected or depressed state,  and go about with a `black cloud hanging over your head’, you will not be able to see or grasp any new opportunities that can come up!   Worrying and complaining will only make you feel worse and you will attract a miserable future – as a self-fulfilling prophecy!   So when things seem the worst, is the best time to start thinking of things to be grateful for.

This is the basis of today’s Happy Living Tip.

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Happy Living Tip #4:  Start a Daily Gratitude Diary!

Just get any exercise book, note down today’s date and start writing down at least 5 things you are grateful for today.

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UNDERLYING PRINCIPLES:

One of the best explanations I have read about gratitude and its power is by Wallace D. Wattles in his classic The Science Of Getting Rich (SOGR) written about a century ago!  You can download a free copy of his book by clicking on the above link.   He devotes one whole chapter to this topic of Gratitude – Chapter 7.   Some of the highlights are given below:

  • There is a law of gratitude, and it is absolutely necessary that you should observe the law if you are to get the results you seek.  It is the natural principle that action and reaction are always equal and in opposite directions.
  • The grateful outreaching of your mind in thankful praise to the Supreme Intelligence is a liberation or expenditure of force.  It cannot fail to reach that to which it is addressed and the reaction is an instantaneous movement towards you!
  • But the value of gratitude does not consist solely of getting you more blessings in the future.  Without gratitude you cannot keep from dissatisfied thought regrading things as they are. To permit your mind to dwell on the inferior is to surround yourself with inferior things.
  • The grateful mind is constantly fixed on the best.  Therefore it tends to become the best.  It takes the character and form of the best and so will receive the best!
  • Also faith is born of gratitude.  The grateful mind continually expects good things and expectation becomes faith!

PRACTICAL APPLICATION:

Initially you may struggle with it, but soon you will find that you have more than 5 things you are grateful for.   It is just a matter of changing our habit of looking for faults and begin the the habit of looking for things to be grateful for, to be happy about.

When you begin writing, start out with simple things, such as:

  1. I am grateful that I woke up this morning;
  2. I am grateful that I live with my family;
  3. I am grateful that I have a job to go to;
  4. I am grateful for my good health;
  5. etc. etc.

Soon you will be on a roll and can come up with more than 5 things to be grateful for.

    In closing, remember to start your own Daily Gratitude Diary or Journal, TODAY!.   Make a habit of it and see how things start improving for you!

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