“When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.” -Lao Tzu
The month of November brings in the United States the festivities of Thanksgiving. It is a good reminder for us to be grateful. We carry the potential for gratitude, but it is not inherent in us; it is a thought, and a behavior, we need to cultivate. We can create gratitude on a daily basis.
It has been studied, and scientifically shown, that being grateful has a positive impact on our well-being. Positive psychology studies have shown how gratitude can shift moods, relationships and outlooks in life. Cultivating gratitude can increase levels of energy, empathy and optimism.
Although many of us have been given this piece of advice before, we forget to practice gratitude. Lets remember that practice means to repeat in order to acquire a skill, and not the expectation to already have the skill.
We can begin by being grateful for our own existence. We are complete, nothing is missing, and there are immense possibilities for our further advancements. Being kind and gentle to our own self and our journey is a great start into our practice of gratitude.
Happy Thanksgiving!