The Gift

You have a present that has to be opened so that you can find it. It states, "Please share with others." It cannot be exhausted. The more you use the gift, the bigger and more valuable it becomes.

Your thankfulness is your gift. You were given it at birth. Although appreciation is ingrained in our brains from birth, it may require some training to develop. The neuronal connections in the brain that improve physical and mental wellness are strengthened by thankfulness practice. According to studies, expressing appreciation and adopting an appreciative attitude improves sleep by increasing contentment and lowering anxiety and despair. When we communicate our thanks and thankfulness to others, they are drawn to us and return the favor by doing the same for us, which is known as a two-way blessing..

Spirituality and gratitude go hand in hand. Numerous world religions place a strong emphasis on cultivating and putting gratitude into practice as a vital moral virtue. According to research, those who pray express their thankfulness more. Old Testament psalms are full of exhortations to give thanks to God under all circumstances.

The benefits of appreciation for one's health and happiness are being studied. Patients with heart disease who keep a gratitude notebook are more likely to experience better health outcomes. Keepers of gratitude journals are happier and more likely to perform better academically. Gratitude practitioners are more likely to engage in healthy behaviors like regular exercise and a balanced diet. You're more inclined to have a positive outlook.

As the year 2021 draws to a close and the holidays brighten our days, consider the best ways to honestly express your thanks and gratitude for it. Be thankful for the difficult things as well because blessings are there, even if you have to look hard for them. Expect new opportunities to express gratitude in the coming year.

Building internal thankfulness requires effort. Create a habit of writing down three things that made you feel glad each day as well as three occasions when you thanked someone for anything. Your inner tranquility and happiness will increase as a result of this habit, improving your health. Gratitude also gives you inner strength to face tough times that inevitably happen.

Christmas Gratitude

My daughter shared this story describing how gratitude blessed her. A few years ago she happened to be by herself for Christmas. Feeling very alone and melancholy she thought about family far away. To make things worse, her father had passed away on Christmas day not many years before. That memory alone was enough to bring tears. But months before this particular Christmas she had befriended a homeless, down-on-his-luck gentleman, a trustworthy man of great character and kindness. By chance just days before Christmas, she saw him on a street corner. He asked about her Christmas plans. “None” she said as she felt the tears. He quickly suggested they meet for coffee 11:00 Christmas morning at the coffee shop across the street. They did. As she left home to meet this man, she remembered to grab a simple gift of an inexpensive phone charger still in its box that she had planned for herself. When they sat down, she gave him the little box. As gratitude and excitement lit up his face, my daughter was blessed beyond any response to any gift she had ever given to anyone. Somehow she understood this man had never received Christmas presents and hers meant the world to him. Her Christmas was blessed with a deep understanding of true gratitude. For my daughter and perhaps for this man, it was possibly the most memorable Christmas ever.