“Gratitude is the healthiest of all human emotions. The more you express gratitude for what you have, the more likely you will have even more to express gratitude for.” ~ Zig Ziglar
“Gratitude is the fairest blossom which springs from the soul.” ~ Henry Ward Beecher
“When you rise in the morning, give thanks for the light, for your life, for your strength. Give thanks for your food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason to give thanks, the fault lies in yourself.” ~ Tecumseh
Thanksgiving comes around once a year, but gratitude can blossom in your life every day. In the spirit of this wonderful time, here are 5 ways to tend a gratitude garden that reaps a harvest of beauty and love in your everyday life.
- Notice All The Great Things In Your Life
We notice what we focus on, so focus on all the things that are right in your world. Once you begin this practice you’ll be amazed at how many wonderful things show up in your life everyday. Notice that beautiful cloud formation, that uplifting call you had with your best friend, or those lovely flowers your spouse brought home for no reason at all.
Notice all the great moments in your day, both big and small, and then be sure to capture them in either a journal or a gratitude jar. When you take the time to record these things they become more important and they multiply in your life.
Recording these events allows you to relive it, which makes it more significant to your subconscious – it’s like it happened to you twice.
- Focus On Your Silver Lining
We all have bumpy spots yet there’s always a way to plant a seed of gratitude, even during your stormy times. When faced with a difficult situation ask yourself, “What can I learn from this?”, or, “When I look back on this later, what will I be grateful for?”.
- Don’t Dilute Your Gratitude
Gratitude has the power to create positive outcomes in your life, however if you dilute its power with complaining, gossiping, or criticizing you dig up all the good you planted. Commit to having a week free of all negative behavior. If you catch yourself slipping into a negative pattern, just stop and recommit. Give yourself the gift of a gratitude-powered week.
- Spread The Love
The most wonderful thing about gratitude is how it makes you feel. So spread that around as your contribution to making your world a better place.
Make it a point to give someone a complement every day. Or share your appreciation of something to enhance it, like, “That’s a lovely sunset, isn’t it?”. The magical quality about gratitude is it increases the more you share it.
- Share Your Gifts
One of the most effective ways to really understand how much bounty you have to harvest in your life is by helping others. When you reach out and give your time or talents to better the lives of others, you can fully appreciate all you have.
If you are ready to reap a bounty of good in your life but just need some help harvesting your field, give me a call and I’ll let you borrow my Master Gardener tools.
Abundant Blessings,
Donna
Top Photo Credit: Fruits and Veggies by Joi Ito
by Heart Light Digital
