Can you really appreciate life? If not, what do you need to change?
Maybe you need to change everything.
Gratitude takes
a simple shift in your mindset. Notice the positive things, and you’ll feel positive.
Notice the joys, and you’ll feel joyous. Notice goodness of the life you have,
and you have more things to look forward to.
Gratitude
rewires the brain. The ventral and dorsal medial prefrontal cortex are
activated and “involved in feelings of reward (the reward when stress is
removed), morality, interpersonal bonding, and positive social interactions,
and the ability to understand what other people are thinking or feeling.” [1] After that, your brain releases neurochemicals like
dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin, which allow you to experience happiness.
You may start a
day with negative emotions and perceptions, but choosing to be grateful can
help you in many ways. Appreciation leads to finding determination and feeling
whole, you see. It can help you love your life even at your lowest.
Appreciation is
all you need to make the most of your life.
You can
appreciate life more and be grateful in the following ways:
1. Give
When you give to
others, you don’t immediately realize how much impact your life can have on
them. That makes it more meaningful.
You can easily
give to a stranger, a loved one, or anyone by merely showing up for them. It
doesn’t matter if you don’t have endless means to provide for other people.
What matters is that you care.
Selflessness is
so vital in becoming the best version of yourself. Why? You’re a part of
something bigger than yourself. You’re living with meaning and purpose. You
lose yourself in doing good, so you can think of yourself less while still
getting to know yourself. It comes full circle.
When you give
selflessly, ethics and empathy are the best tools to have under your belt. You
grow and evolve and see what’s most important in life this way.
Sometimes, it’s
easy to forget what’s real and get lost in the fleeting, fake side of life. But
when you give, you remember everything. You remember your why — your reason for
reaching out to those in need. You are no longer alone, and your love for life
just shines through you.
What should you
give, you may ask?
Give your time if
you can’t give anything else. In that sense, anyone can provide something
valuable to others. You will feel grateful for all you can do in this life with
what you have.
It doesn’t mean
that giving will solve your problems or anyone else’s. Kindness in this world
can do so many things that we don’t even know of.
You don’t do it
for rewards. You do it because it feels right to give.
This is how to
lead a life that you can feel good about.
2.
Mindfulness
Sit with your
feelings, your thoughts. Listen to what your gut is trying to tell you. Love
yourself. Then, look around you and see what you have.
Focus on the
senses, and ground yourself in things that make you happy.
You can be at the moment if you do it more than you usually do. Thus, you can
appreciate life and the small things that come with it.
Try to realize
how tiny you are compared to the vastness of the sea or sky. There is much to
be in awe of in this world. Forget what is false and fleeting, and see the
brilliance of being alive.
Mindfulness is
one trick that most psychologists and gurus use to help others get over their
fears. It is about finding acceptance, going with the flow, and sticking with
it.[2] Instead of focusing on what you’re afraid of or worried
about, you need to cherish the moment and focus at present.
If you are mindful, you can take control of your life by letting go. This will reduce your stress and increase your mental strength. Your life can improve when you know what doesn’t serve you anymore.
3. Love Yourself
When you love
yourself, you can be more grateful for the life that you have. You can rise to
meet any challenge that comes your way. You just have to try to be good to
yourself like you would to anyone else.
Self-compassion
is key to surviving whatever you are going through. Once you feel that, you
will know who you are meant to be.
According to
Deepak Chopra, unconditionally loving yourself is about accepting your flaws,
inner resistance and challenges, old wounds, etc.[3] It’s not about just plastering a smile on your face and
faking self-love. No, you have to get real with yourself.
Being vulnerable
takes some power and honesty. You may start loving yourself more if you
genuinely face things and appreciate how far you’ve come.
Appreciate who
you are as you are. It doesn’t mean that you are perfect or that you are worth
it. When you accept yourself as a whole, you can climb higher than you ever
imagine and view yourself with pride.
You got here.
You made it this far.
What do you love
about yourself? What about the imperfections — can you give yourself grace for
some of them? Be patient with yourself and realize what you have to offer. No
one can live this life but you.
You have your
unique path, so try to love yourself and enjoy the ride.
4. Hyperfocus
on the Positive
When you have a
positive outlook, you become productive. When you look at what’s good in life,
you can do more with it. When you stay hyperfocused on the positive, you can
achieve anything.
You appreciate
life more when you have this mindset because you choose not to focus on its
negative aspects every second of your waking day. You look at everything around
you, figure out what you can use, and ask yourself the following questions:
- What
is an act of kindness that I or someone I know has done?
- What
is an experience I can look back on and feel good about?
- What
has made me feel happy lately?
- What
activities have I enjoyed?
- What’s
a positive thought about myself and my life?
- What
healthy choices have I been making?
- What
good things can I do more of?
- What
can I appreciate even during the days when I feel like giving up?
- What good can gratitude do for me?.
5. Make a
Gratitude List
You’ve probably
heard of this one before, but it’s not easy to make a gratitude list. Still,
that’s precisely what you should be doing.
Write down
everything you are grateful for at the end of each day. Stay open to how life
progresses and how your attitude or beliefs change before it’s too late.
The things you
are grateful for don’t have to be colossal. It can be something that has happened
in your past or is happening right now. It may even be something that you are
looking forward to.
There are also
simple ways to create a list. In truth, some of them were even used by
children. For instance, you can play “rose and thorn” every day.[4] What was the lively (rose) or awful (thorn) part of your
day? Try to find more roses than thorns whenever possible.
More
importantly, you can write a gratitude list anytime, any day. No matter what
your reason is, just write it. Then, you will find yourself feeling genuinely
grateful for the things you have written down.
6. Take a
Break
Have you spent
time with the people you care about lately? Have you chosen to look around you
and see how good your life is?
It doesn’t mean
you don’t have to keep evolving appreciate the now. In order to develop, you
have to know what’s worth fighting for. The quickest way to do that is by
taking a break to enjoy life more.
Whether you take
a vacation or go to your backyard to experience the wonders of life, take the
time to do so. Perhaps you just need to exhale and know that you are safe.
Maybe you were missing out on things before, or there was a version of yourself
you would like to get back. Whatever it is, you can gain it all by showing
gratitude.
Explore nature.
Take a trip. Get out of the house. Put down your smartphone and look up in the
sky. Take the more scenic route and find a way back to what matters.
7. Celebrate
Your Wins
Please take note
of what you have achieved in life and what you continue to do well.
Doing so says a
lot about you. It entails that you
have a reason to get up in the morning and keep going. With that perspective,
you can do anything.
You can also be
grateful for any accomplishment, even if it’s as simple as being alive. You are
still here; you will always have something to say.
It tells an
important story about not just who you are but who you can become as well.
You are worthy, and good enough. All you have to do is see it — see your value — to
appreciate your worth and shape your life’s narrative.
8. Stay
Thankful
You may not know
how far a simple “thank you” can go.
When you
appreciate everyone, you make more profound and more meaningful connections.
When your life takes a positive turn, you cannot forget the people who have
helped you along the way. After all, if you can remember them, you can remember
yourself. You can choose to keep giving and showing up for life because you
know who supports you.
Furthermore, say
thank you to life itself. Be grateful every time you walk outside. You can
decide to make it a good day just by being grateful. You get this one life, and
what you do with it is up to you.
Your life has
value. If you give up, you will never appreciate life. Your time is short, so
every little bit matters.
When you give
thanks, you make meaning. You pick out parts of your life that are still good
and hold onto them despite everything. Then, you pay it forward by doing a good
deed for someone else. You can pay attention to the world and its beauty even
if you are dealing with a mess by simply being thankful.
Final
Thoughts
It’s not always
easy to see what’s right in front of you. It’s easier to complain, close off,
and be blind to the beauty that this life has to offer.
However, when
you open up, you recognize that you are never alone. You have enough. You ARE
enough. And that’s the power of appreciation.
Appreciation can
fill you with positive thoughts and emotions when you think you have nothing.
It’s the fuel that can help you keep going.