How You Can Feel Gratitude During Difficult Times

: By Yvonne Tally

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Gratitude is noticing the good things that are happening all around you. Some goodness is more obvious than others, such as that of a loved one, a delicious meal, or a beautiful sunset. Feeling gratitude when life is stormy can be difficult; it’s during times of hardship that our gratitude is most tested. Seeing the silver lining during those times is easier when we focus on the power of our gratitude.

Considering gratitude as a practice rather than a mood may help you to see it as an effective tool for personal health and wellness. Practicing gratitude raises your happiness meter, lowers your blood pressure, enhances your immune system, aids restful sleep, reduces anxiety and depression, and helps you to be more resilient. Just think about how much time you’ll save, and how much of your time will feel vibrantly improved, just by taking a few moments to be thankful for the good stuff.

When we are in a positive, grateful frame of mind, our physiology shifts, stimulating feel-good hormones and uplifting our spirits. When others feel upheld, noticed, and valued, they are inclined to positively engage. Gratitude is contagious! Spread it around and share it often. It will vastly enhance the quality of your day.

The Practice

You can do this quick exercise anytime and anywhere. It can be as short as one minute or as long as an hour or more. You’ll feel light and refreshed and in a mood of gratitude when you’re finished. You’ll be more alert to the good stuff that’s present right now.

1. Find a quiet and comfortable place to sit down.

2. Close your eyes, and take ten deep inhales and exhales.

3. Imagine you are standing in an open field filled with wildflowers of all colors. Take a moment to see them flowing in a light breeze.

4. Using your power of imagination, invite your loved ones into this magnificent field of flowers. You are surrounded by all their loving faces.

5. Take a moment to see each of them, and then one by one, tell them the nontangible gift that they have given you, such as their understanding, kindness, or a loving partnership.

6. When you’re finished, tell each one that you love them.

Repeat this gratitude exercise with the tangible things in your life, such as your home and the comfort it provides you, your car and the ease it adds to your life, the water that always flows from your kitchen and bathroom faucets, the trees that shade you in the heat, the birds that chirp outside your window.

No matter what is happening, there is always room for gratitude. When you keep this attitude alive and active, you reap the benefits every day.

Just One Minute Twice A Day

Practice gratitude daily by inviting it in with just one minute of acknowledgment at the beginning of your day and at the end. You’ll be grateful for the attitude shift and the refocused purpose this mindful practice will bring.

It is hard to feel sorry for ourselves, down in the dumps, or even frustrated when we take a few minutes to feel gratitude for what we have in our lives rather than focusing on what we don’t. Keep that in mind and practice gratitude often; you can never have too much.

Copyright ©2018 by Yvonne Tally.
Reprinted with permission from New World Library
www.newworldlibrary.com.

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by Yvonne Tally

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About the Author

Yvonne Tally leads meditation and mindfulness programs for corporations, private groups, and individuals in Silicon Valley and throughout the United States. She is an NLP Master Practitioner and cofounded Poised Inc., a fitness and lifestyle company. She is the creator of VMind Fitness™; a life-transforming holistic method using your own untapped potential and personal power to create and live your passion and purpose. Yvonne is the Meditation and De-Stressing Specialist for the City of Palo Alto. Visit her website at https://yvonnetally.com/