Gratitude: A Practice

Oxford English Dictionary defines the word gratitude as: “The quality or condition of being grateful; a warm sense of appreciation of kindness received, involving a feeling of goodwill towards the benefactor…”

Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines the word gratitude as: “The state of being grateful; thankfulness” 

We all know that the word gratitude is synonymous with the word thankful (cue Thanksgiving dinner conversation), but gratitude is also a practice.

It's a practice that asks you to show love & understanding instead of hate & judgement, and that asks you to appreciate the pros more than you dwell on the cons. It's a practice that asks you to find a silver lining wherever you go, whoever you talk to, no matter the circumstances. It's a practice that is HARD. And time consuming. But, boy oh boy is it a practice with some of the most beautiful, profound, life-altering benefits.

Did you know that every single emotion has a frequency? Did you know that gratitude is one of the emotions that vibrates at the highest frequency? Frequencies are intangible forces that are always at play, always dictating how living things interact and communicate & how humans perceive the world around them. When in a state of gratitude, the body creates more endorphins, has more energy, and attracts like things - things that also vibrate at a high frequency. Things like, good health, wellness, positive experiences, situations & people, abundance, fortitude, growth. 

 We, as humans of this life and of this earth, do not get to choose what the universe decides to hurl or throw or gracefully send our way, right? What we DO get to choose, is how we react to said things sent our way. One of the definitions of the word emotion, is, “a conscious, mental reaction.”

Emotion = Reaction

Stay with me now - if we are always in control of how we react to anything, at any given time, then isn't it safe to say that we are always in control of our emotions…?

And, if we are always in control of our emotions, then wouldn't we want to choose an emotion that makes us feel good? Wouldn't we want to choose an emotion that vibrates at such a high frequency that you start to enhance your health and wellness? Wouldn't you want to vibrate at such a high frequency that the pathways in your brain start changing, and the practice of gratitude becomes easier and easier until one day you wake up, and the decision to be grateful is just etched into the fabric of your being? 

These are simply over-caffeinated Monday thoughts. I just ask you to consider what it feels like for you to practice cultivating a sene of love & understanding this week instead of hate & judgement, and to appreciate the pros of the moment rather than the cons. Who knows, maybe you find a silver lining that perhaps you normally would't have. . .