How To Have Gratitude In Hard Times
It is easy to feel grateful during the good times but during hard times, it can be difficult to feel grateful. However, gratitude can be a very powerful force that can bring feelings of hope and can help heal us. Gratitude is essential to getting us through tough times.
Feeling Grateful Vs. Being Grateful
There is a difference between feeling grateful and being grateful. It can be easy to fall into the trap of just feeling sorry for ourselves when things are down. And it is okay to feel all of your emotions–it is unhealthy to deny what you feel. Feelings are formed by how we look at the world, so by practicing gratitude, even during the darkest of days, we can help lead our feelings to a better place.
Gratitude Is A Choice
The old adage is that being grateful is a choice and it certainly is something that must be practiced. But it is well worth the work. Gratitude is the foundation that allows us to view our life through a different lense. It is like standing on a mountaintop, allowing us to see everything in our lives, both good and bad. It changes our perspective. To get there, you must first climb that mountain.
Shift Your Perspective
Practicing gratefulness is not about learning to buck up and count your blessings. It is more about shifting your perspective. This deliberate practice in shifting your perspective means that you have to actively seek it. Start with just one little thing. Whether that small thing is some tasty food or a friend you can lean on, these small things, really aren’t all that small. These are the things that give us life but they are also easy to overlook, especially if it is something that is familiar or innate. Take a moment to notice these things. Soak them up and feel a sense of gratitude for them. Even just by taking a minute to enjoy something that brings you happiness can help to shift your perspective and allow you to start from a better place to deal with the challenges in front of you.
“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.” It can be comforting to know that we are not alone in our suffering. But it can also be nice to take the focus off of your own troubles, even for a little while, to help someone else deal with their burden. Whether it is just listening to someone talk about what is upsetting them or letting someone cut ahead of you in line, it can be healing to be kind. When times get tough, it is important that we reach out to one another and feel grateful for that connection.
It is important to remember that gratitude is a life-long practice. You must actively work on it each day and it also won’t automatically make everything sunshine and roses. But when used, it is certainly a powerful coping tool to help us weather the storm.