Cultivate the Attitude of Gratitude

Cultivate the Attitude of Gratitude

The thinking mind produces over 60,000 thoughts per day and 85% of them are the same thoughts we had yesterday. Caring for your emotional health is just as important as caring for your physical health. Negative emotions are the root cause of many health problems that could have been prevented if only you would have known exactly what to do. Luckily, it’s not too late. You can convert your negative thoughts into positive ones. This will drastically change the outcome of your quality of life.

The average American has 50 or more stress responses a day. Your body is equipped with natural, self-repair mechanisms that repair broken proteins, kill cancer cells, fight infections, prevent aging, and maintain the homeostasis of the body.

How to cultivate an attitude of gratitude…
Your ideal goal is to be emotionally free. Free of all resentments and anger, guilt and shame.

Take time to laugh often

Not only does laughter burn calories, it decreases stress hormones, increases immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies which improves your resistance to disease by triggering the release of endorphins.

Laugh often! Strive for fifteen minutes of laugh time per day. Real hard belly laughs are even better. Watch comical movies and think back on memories that tickle your funny bone. Call friends on the phone who are witty and pleasant, not the ones who zap your energy with all of their personal problems.

Say heartfelt affirmations

Allowing your ears to hear what your mouth says is a great way to get control of your wandering emotions and to feel good instantly. Still, you must believe what you are saying for it to work. As you’re saying positive affirmations, smile and feel your request as if it has already come to pass. You can choose to say as many or as little as you feel guided to.

Proverbs 18:21 says,

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it shall eat its fruits.

Have hope and faith

Having both hope and faith allows you to feel that something great is waiting for you at the end of the tunnel, helping you push through difficult times.

Forgiveness

Human behavior suggests that humans are wired to want revenge when they have been hurt by another person. When our pride or self-esteem gets injured, we want compensation for the damages.

There are numerous scriptures in the Bible on forgiveness. Forgiving others releases us from anger and allows us to receive the healing we need. Forgiving those who hurt us is the key to personal peace of mind. Ask yourself, “Do I want to be right, or do I want peace?” If you choose wanting to be right, that is your ego talking. Letting go of the ego and its first cousin, pride, will transition you into a state of peace for optimal emotional health.

Be optimistic

Look on the bright side of things and give people the benefit of the doubt. This will help you to feel happy in your day-to-day life and help you better cope with stress, hence improve your immune system. How’s that for an added bonus?

For example, if someone cut you off in traffic, instead of getting angry, giving them the finger and an overabundance of mean-spirited body language gestures, be calm and think to yourself, “That person might be running late for work or picking up their child from school.” Whether it is the case or not, and in most cases, you will never know, the point is to tell yourself these things. This will encourage you to react in a more calm and peaceful manner, which will intern be favorable to your emotional health.

Accept yourself

Seek out and embrace the positive traits about yourself and avoid measuring your worth by comparing yourself to someone else. Celebrate your strengths. God made you just the way you are and he does not make mistakes. He has his reasons for everything and when you do not accept yourself as you are, that is an indication that you are dissatisfied with God’s creation. Of course, there are things about ourselves we seek to enhance, outwardly and inwardly; and, there is nothing wrong with finding ways to improve upon them. Just don’t tell yourself bad things about yourself. If you feel you are weak in a certain area of your life, take the time to nurture that weakness and turn it into a strength, without speaking negativity upon your flaws. We all have weaknesses that are different and unique to us. Take the initiative to learn what they’re here to teach you.

Love your body

If your body feels that you love it, it will love you back by doing everything in its power to keep it alive and well. Point the lens at things that are great about yourself. Are you smart, funny or creative? Find things about yourself that are of value and appreciate them, as well as your weaknesses. These things as a whole make you who you are. You are unique. No two people are alike.

Find activities that you enjoy and can thrive in. Take your time and ask yourself questions to determine what they are. Do you enjoy indoor or outdoor activities? Are you creative? Do you like to work with your hands? Do you enjoy activities that involve adventure? These are the types of questions to ask yourself when trying to discover what makes you happiest. Being happy is one of the best ways to love yourself. Give yourself gifts! Whether it’s treating yourself to a new outfit or spending more me-time. Listen to your body and give it what it needs to perform at its very best; like eating healthy foods, drinking enough water and getting enough rest.