[By: Martin Grunburg]
First, a very happy Thanksgiving (gratitude day) to you and yours! Hope you stay safe and have lots of fun with family and friends!
Having said that, I woke up reflecting on a quote I put in the Habit Factor app about 8 years ago:
“Gratitude is the game-changer!” Then I began to write this and forgot (I wrote this similar post a couple of years ago!)
So, the more I reflected on it — WHY and HOW gratitude is the game-changer — the more I realized I ought to elaborate and review how impactful gratitude is when it is practiced (see last post) in our lives.
Top 10 Reasons Gratitude Is the Game-Changer
1. What you focus upon you feel.
Your feelings dictate your state/physiology at any given moment in time. How relaxed you are, how tense you are, how you are breathing, your posture, etc.
2. Energy! Better energy! (Visit podcast interview with Joe Apfelbaum)
Your energy flows where your attention goes. Feeling grateful directs your energy in a positive fashion! When you are more positive you are…
2. Happier! The mindset of gratitude makes you happier!
It’s easy to be happy when you are focused upon all your good fortune. Chances are good you have eyes and ears and legs and fingers — and not everyone can say that!
3. Gets “YOU” out of your head!
When you stop thinking about yourself and your problems and actually begin to think about others and their problems, you gain perspective and realize how well you have it. And then…
4. You are more empathetic.
When you are able to put yourself in a position of truly understanding another’s circumstances, you grow as a person and end up better understanding yourself.
5. Increases self-esteem
When you are grateful, you understand just how much you have to be thankful for and you can’t help but feel good about yourself.
6. Increases spiritualism
Just who are we thanking anyway? When you’re grateful for your life, you understand the miracle of existence.
7. *Better, more positive relationships!
Who wouldn’t want to be around a grateful person! Gratitude is contagious.
8. *Greater health
Happier people tend to be healthier!
9. *Sleep better
How well do you sleep at night? A gratitude mindset has a calming influence.
10. * Mental fortitude
When you successfully navigate a struggle, your gratitude and mental toughness both increase.
(*Note: these last four are actually supported and referenced by Psychology Today article — and apparently each are backed by science and research. It’s always little funny to me how “science and research” tends to support much of what we already, intuitively seem to know.)
So, with that, Happy Thanksgiving!
There you have it my friends!
HAPPY T-Day and if you didn’t already know, THIS IS WHY GRATITUDE TRULY IS THE GAME-CHANGER!!! ; )
Stay after it, and keep on trackin’!
~mg