The first time I remember feeling gratitude was around 1983. I was in high school and grateful for my physical health. My Aunt had developed muscular dystrophy, and I saw how simple tasks became more challenging for her to accomplish. While I was able to help her, I was also thinking about my ability to move efficiently. As an act of appreciation for my physical health, I decided to pursue bodybuilding as a sport in college. I didn’t want to take my muscles for granted. At that time, gratitude wasn’t trending as a technique for staying healthy. There was no internet in 1987! Even years later, I didn’t understand the full impact of gratitude. In my late 20s and early 30s, the gratitude journal became popular when a TV talk show host boasted of its benefits. So, I bought a notebook and wrote five things I was grateful for daily. It wasn’t long before I ran out of things to write about. I had been feeling lonely and sad during challenging times in my marriage. The gratitude journal wasn’t giving me the happiness I was looking for. I hadn’t connected my appreciation for physical health in the 80s with gratitude. At that time, I was hyper-focused on what I didn’t have.
Years later, I heard a podcast guest explain gratitude differently. The expert said to think of your life without the person, place, or thing. At that moment, it hit me, and a flood of gratitude filled my heart. My home, my family, my dogs—the list could go on and on! Suddenly, gratitude came quickly to me. I had unlocked the healing power of gratitude. The Ancient Yogis knew how vital gratitude was for life. Yoga Sutra Chapter 2, verse 42 says from contentment, unsurpassed happiness is attained. I agree with that statement. Living in appreciation can bring unsurpassed happiness if we can get to the point of genuine gratitude. Try this gratitude activity. Think about your life now and pick a person, place, or thing to contemplate. Maybe it’s a pet or a loved one. Then, consider how your life would be without that person or pet. Now consider all the joy and love the person or pet brings you. Write a few statements about the feelings and experiences. Notice the happiness your thoughts have generated in your heart, and remember that joy throughout the day. Tomorrow, choose something different or maybe the same focus of gratitude. If you like, share your experience with us on our Facebook page.
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AuthorDr. Lisa Clow Archives
January 2025
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