“The roots of all goodness lie in the soil of appreciation for goodness.” (Quote by Dalai Lama)

Introduction

​We all tend to take our lives for granted every now and then. We forget how privileged we are to have access to an abundance of resources. And this in turn makes us reckless. When we do something nice for someone and receive gratitude in return, it makes us want to do more for that person. On the other hand, when our kindness is reciprocated with callousness, we end up second-guessing our decision of helping that person in the first place. The same is true for when nature does so much for us, while we continue with our unceasing criticism for it.

​Significance

​One underrated benefit of being grateful is that it makes you humble. Now we don’t have to explain how important it is to stay humble and grounded in times of success as well as in failure. But to add to your perspective, it does not take long for the tables to turn, especially when we act proud and boastful during our highs. Conversely, in our lows, many of us tend to fall into a never-ending pit of depression. We forget where we’ve come from, or where we might end up going. We forget that crests and troughs go hand-in-hand and that there is always a chance of us tripping over. We neglect all our blessings, all our gifts, and this does not bode well in the longer run. Here is where gratitude comes in. Gratitude is like a cushion that prevents us from tripping over our highs and keeps us from dwelling in our lows.

​In terms of biology, gratitude promotes the secretion of and assists in maintaining optimum levels of the neurochemical called serotonin. Serotonin keeps our mood idyllic, provides emotional welfare, and helps stabilize our feelings of joy and cheerfulness. This in turn helps to maintain a healthy state of mind no matter the situation. We’ve all heard of people with virtually unlimited resources but little to no peace of mind or satisfaction. This is a symptom of lack of gratitude and can be treated with seemingly simple yet highly consequential habits and day-to-day activities.

Cultivation

Here’s an effortless trick to aid you in becoming more grateful. Every time you find yourself complaining about how bad your circumstances are, simply say to yourself: “I am grateful for this life and all the resources that I’ve been blessed with.” Because the truth is, there’s always someone doing worse. And cribbing doesn’t help. As you repeat this phrase multiple times, allow your mind to drift into a state of calm. Let your imagination wander. Let your thoughts guide themselves to a space from where you can vividly see and introspect upon everything good that has been happening in your life. Try to detach from all the sadness that you’ve been experiencing, and focus on the better parts of your life.

​Another good way is to maintain a ‘gratitude journal’ wherein you write about all the many things that you are grateful for or the many acts of kindness that you witness on a daily basis. Both these techniques will not only help you develop a positive outlook towards life but will also keep you open and receptive towards an ocean of possibilities that people generally miss out on, given their inability to think clearly. 

​Resources

​Writing about the things you’re thankful for every day without fail, even if it’s something so trivial like the air you breathe, can be extremely useful for cultivating gratitude. Use the link provided below for purchasing your very own gratitude journal.

Link: https://amzn.to/2VoA1sm

​End Note

Gratitude is not just about saying “thank you” to someone for his or her services or help. It’s about incorporating a constant feeling of satisfaction in our mindsets, so much so that we start considering all else as an added bonus in our lives. It’s about remembering how a friend was there for us in our times of despair and forgiving insignificant mistakes, should he or she ever commit any. It’s about telling the universe how grateful you are for everything that it has done for you. It’s about letting go of that notion of entitlement and embracing the fact that you have been blessed indeed.

​PS. If you wish to become an accomplished human being, equipped with the right values and ethics, you should work on cultivating gratitude as a virtue. It is one of the nine most important virtues of all times for promoting self development and growth.