Continuing with our thoughts on gratitude as we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, just what is gratitude - an emotion? A virtue? A philosophy?  Gratitude is NOT indebtedness, nor is it complacency. 

It’s the abundance of what you already have, not what is missing in your life. It’s recognizing what’s good, and minimizing the bad. It’s gratefulness not gratification. It’s a dimension of psychological well-being, not an excuse to suffer during difficult times. It propels the desire to do more, not less. It’s about giving credit, but not ignoring your achievements. It’s a state of mindfulness while sifting your fingertips through soft white sand on the beach, acknowledging the texture of each grain. It’s the silhouette of a loved one sitting in a chair, reading a good book.  It’s heart open, mind expanded.  It’s spirituality, respect, resilience, happiness, empathy, purpose. Gratitude is the beginning of compassion and humility.   

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Most of us generally think that gratitude is something you say out loud – “Thank You” – but that’s not exactly how gratitude works. Gratitude is something you feel and is a direct result of personal willpower.  You must practice it, acknowledge it, embrace it, and share it.

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So what’s your gratitude meter reading these days? Try creating a gratitude journal and make it a daily ritual to capture the “gifts” you received from strangers or loved ones each evening. They don’t have to be grandiose gestures; could be a smile by a passerby, a hello on the street, a small act of kindness. Keeping a gratitude journal can help you maintain your effort to appreciate the things you have and enhance your own well-being.     

Did you know…That the practice of yoga is based on a philosophy that encompasses gratitude? In a 2013 study published in the Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, a significant relationship was found between the extent of yoga practice and gratitude. The longer individuals practice yoga regularly, the higher their levels of reported gratitude are.