
Why Gratitude Is So Important
Gratitude has many benefits that you can tap into…
Gratitude Energizes You
Without gratitude, it’s easy to slip into the victim mindset. You tell yourself things like, “I’m just destined to be a loser. I can’t have an amazing life. I’ve never had it easy, so why should I expect anything to change?”
But gratitude flips the script entirely. Instead of being the victim in the story, you become the hero. The one who overcomes the odds to build a beautiful life filled with blessings and abundance.
Gratitude offers many gifts if you’re willing to change your perspective and look at them. You never know what you might discover when you start viewing life through the lens of gratitude!
What Happens When We Don’t Focus on Gratitude?
When some people think of gratitude, they think of the Thanksgiving holiday. But gratitude is so much more than an annual holiday. It’s a way of life that can have a deep impact on you.
Just as gratitude can have a positive effect on you, refusing to express gratitude has a host of negative effects, including these three problems…
Poor Self-Image
When you focus on what you don’t have, it’s easy to develop a poor self-image. For example, Mary’s parents couldn’t afford to get her braces when she was young. As she grew up, she would look in the mirror and focus on how ugly she thought her teeth were.
Over time, this habit led Mary to develop a poor self-image. Instead of seeing herself as a beautiful work of art, she focused on her flaws. The more she focused on her teeth, the less Mary wanted to take care of herself in other areas. This created a loop of negative thoughts that Mary carried with her everywhere she went.
Difficulty with Forgiveness
Emily was in an auto accident with a drunk driver. Although she survived, she was left with long-term nerve damage down the left side of her body. The other driver walked away without a scratch and without ever apologizing.
She waited to have her say in court, only for the other driver to get a light sentence. Emily fell into a deep depression. While she suffered every day in pain, the offender walked free, and his life was barely impacted.
Then one day, Emily wrote a letter she had never sent. In it, she forgave the man who had hurt her so deeply. She decided that day to stop focusing on what the accident had taken from her. Instead, she looked at what it gave her—a second chance at life, a new business that she loved, and a deeper relationship with her husband.
Negative Mindset
Paying too much attention to what you don’t have can create a negative mindset. It happened to Jody. She followed a leader she admired on Instagram. The woman’s posts seemed to indicate that her life was perfect. She had a beautiful home, a loving husband, a thriving business, and two wonderful kids.
Over time, Jody became friends with the other woman. She was shocked to learn that the leader’s life wasn’t perfect.
The beautiful house was a rental because theirs had been destroyed in a hurricane. The loving husband was seriously ill and in need of caregiving. The woman’s children had life-threatening allergies. The thriving business was in the middle of a messy transition.
When Jody asked why the other woman never shared these things on social media, the woman shrugged, “Despite it all, I feel blessed. Yes, my life is hard, but there’s so much I’m grateful for.”
Don’t allow negativity, bitterness, or a poor self-image to keep you from living your best life. Gratitude is a choice, and it’s one you can make right now, no matter what’s happening around you.