How Gratitude can transform your life and make you Authentically happy: 5 Practices to follow daily
We’ve all heard thousands of times how we need to be thankful, demonstrate gratitude, and appreciate everything we have. It’s become so common that is no longer relevant in our minds when we hear the word “gratitude”. Nonetheless, When I applied the gratitude that I am going to explain today, not only did my mindset change, but my entire life followed the drastic change, making me a positive happy individual, regardless of the circumstances I was living. Now, no good thing comes without struggle, I’ve had to learn to be grateful, as it’s not a native quality in us, but when practiced over time, it creates this internal joy and abundance of happiness.
So let’s dive into it, and to top it off, at the end I will share 5 practical practices you should do daily to boost your grateful mindset and achieve happiness.
What is gratitude?
The proper definition of gratitude is “the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness”. In simple words is appreciating what you have and showing that with your attitude, and I am sure you might mentally say, but I am grateful, I pray daily and give god thanks for what I have. That’s Great! But it is not the type of gratitude I am talking about.
The gratitude I speak is the one where you deeply within recognize that you do not deserve anything you have, I mean, NOTHING! You do not deserve to exist, to have great things, to breathe, to enjoy the little things of life like a sunset or a morning rise, but even understanding that you are no one and deserve nothing, from the depths of your soul you are incredibly thankful to be here again one more day.
Is been able to see life through the lenses of a humble, utterly appreciative individual who only cares to focus on one thing, saying thank you. The thing with gratitude is that we all think we have it, until we realize we don’t!
When you work long hours at the office and come home you think you deserve to rest, when you wake up in the morning you think you deserve a delicious breakfast, when your family or friends call you to hang out, you think they owe you their time because you are close to each other.
Whether we acknowledge it or not, we always feel entitled to everything we currently have or live, and this happens without realising it because we are used to it, we have been conditioned to expect without expecting.
This is where real gratitude demolishes this belief and creates a new one from deep authentic appreciation, but how do you acquire it?
How to build authentic gratitude
It is no easy task to create this authentic gratitude mindset when you have never done so, but let me tell you, it is mind-blowing, and it will reshift your life once implemented.
The key to building an authentic grateful soul is by practising daily the observance of existence, yes you hear me, or I should say read it. It is by daily observing your own life, your existence in this very moment, and by finding the smallest things that make up your life, things that you do not deserve to get, yet you have them. This goes beyond just being alive, instead is the mere fact that you exist, that you are in this moment in this universe experiencing life now.
You do not, deserve it, because you’ve never paid anyone to be here, to be alive, to experience this realm and to have any of the things you are currently living, yet you are, and the mere fact that was given to you, is enough reason to be grateful unconditionally.
One of the reasons this awakening happened to me was because I was always dwelling on the things I did not have, like not having $100,000 in my bank account, not having my dream job, not having the family I had wished for, not living in the area I wanted it, you get the point. I was immersed in the “do not have” that without realizing I was always on the negative spectrum of things. I would say I was grateful but pondered on things that were missing in my life, more than the ones I was given freely.
What shifted my mentality was an experience, per usual, I was living life without that grip of reality because we all think, we are guaranteed tomorrow until we don’t. In my case, I had to experience being on the edge of life when COVID-19 struck in 2020. I was very positive thinking I was young and healthy, and nothing would happen to me. I was overconfident and expecting life to continue as usual, with no interruption. I was so confident that I was the only one who did not get the vaccines in the entire office, thinking ” I don’t need it”.
Why I learned to be grateful
Around May 2020 I got sick with COVID-19, it started with a cold and rapidly progressed to pneumonia. I had done everything I could to stop the virus from entering my lungs and I had failed terribly. Within a few weeks, I was unable to move my entire body, I was stuck in one position in my bed to be able to breathe so slightly if I moved just a bit more, I would start coughing so much and so uncontrolled that I would quickly run out of air and felt like fainting.
I saw my life crossed through my eyes, I was 29 years old, with a 2-year-old baby who was dependent of me, yet I felt my life was fleeing with every breath I inhaled. I was so sure that I was not gonna make it, that in my thoughts I started giving my goodbyes to everyone and reviewing my life to that point. I was happy that I had the opportunity to be living in that moment and that if I was going to go, I was okay with it. It was a very strange feeling to be okay with death when you are young and supposedly full of life.
But, of course, it didn’t end there, I used the last energy I had, to drive myself to the emergency room with my kid, to get help, and that is when I discovered I had developed pneumonia. I took every bit of strength I had to get to the hospital, and it was so worth it, as I got assisted with recovering my health. After that experience my life drastically changed, as I no longer took for granted the ability I have to breathe, the strength I have to get up and move, the ability I have to think, to love and to forgive.
That experience taught me that we are not deserving of absolutely anything, the mere fact that we are living in this moment is a gift, a miracle and should be deeply appreciated daily. When we go through tough times or troubles, problems we think are so overwhelming, think that we can be gone tomorrow and never be in this realm, this very moment experiencing the life you have as we know it, it will vanish.
Thinking this way pushes you to not only live in the present but to show gratitude to the deepest, smallest and most overlooked experiences, such as the clean air you have to breathe, the colors you see around you, the breeze that regulates your body temperature the palette you have to taste food and enjoy the delicious meals you ingest. The list could go on and on, we are given way more than we need, yet we focus on the wrong side of things, or we say we are grateful without really feeling it.
So hopefully my story has touched any internal fibre you have and may be making you feel funny, don’t suppress it, instead start following these 5 practices daily to build that momentum and become an authentic happy person.
5 practices to follow – 1. Breathing
The first one on the list is one of the simplest yet most neglected practices, and this is one even I struggle to practice, but it is one of the most powerful ones! Breathing!
How so? Well with the act of inhaling and exhaling, you are been re-born again and again, and you are allowing every second to exist, plus there are so many benefits of practising mindfulness through deep breathing, that I would never finish this article. The technique of breathing practices is ancient and there are many books of people who have found true happiness from understanding the power of “breath work”. What I would recommend, is every day, set aside some time to just sit with yourself and take long deep breaths, I’d say do this for 1-2 minutes. Just deep inhale hold for a few seconds and exhale slowly, trying to capture every millisecond there is of that experience.
It doesn’t have to be long, a few minutes here and there daily will compound through time and help you create it into a habit.
Meditation
This comes with no surprise, as meditation has become a key master to becoming happier individuals, why? Meditation allows you to shut your mind is always chaotic and brings you awareness of your surroundings, quiets your mind so your soul can listen, can speak, can observe and feel. Meditation will connect you with your inner self, the side of you that is pure authentic and genuine and will embrace the gratitude from a place of soulfulness and deep caring.
Meditation has to be one of the most used words used by everything but understood by a few. You do not need fancy apps that guide you, all you need is a quiet space for yourself, that is it! You need to sit and observe, become a third person within you and observe your thoughts, feelings and emotions. This will bring clarity within you and a deep sense of gratitude will arise, the right type!
Journaling
Writing is one of the best ways to always remain focused on being grateful and gratitude journaling is one that personally did a great job of creating that deep authentic gratitude mindset. I recommend anyone to sit and write 10 things you are grateful for every single day and never repeat the same things. Find the smallest things to be grateful for, and put them on paper so you can always come back and refocus when emotions or problems arise.
Trust me when I say that you will start to notice more things that you were not paying attention to daily, things that will start to light up your days and make you more present, more alive and ultimately happy. If 10 things are too much, start small, write down 1 thing per day and build it to progressively focus on more things you have going on in your life that are good, that bring you joy and make your life journey worthwhile.
Connect with Nature
One of the best ways to create sincere gratitude for our lives is by connecting with nature. We often ignore the fact that nature is our best friend and submerging ourselves in it, will heal wounds, will help us reconnect with our higher self and show that our deepest truest nature is all energy. When we create this mental state of gratitude and thankfulness our energy and vibrations rise opening doors for more positive and greater opportunities for success, blessings and overall a greater life.
When I started doing consistent walks on trails, it boosted my energy, making me feel motivated, powerful and with a bigger sense of purpose. I also was able to acknowledge that everything that I am given is by blessing of unconditional love, had I not connected myself with nature, it would be hard to create this bond. This is why I highly encourage others, to go on walks, swim on the ocean, take car trips, things that it’s sole purpose is connection.
Use of Affirmations
Affirmations are another powerful tool because they shape the way we perceive ourselves and the world around us. Our thoughts are incredibly influential, and the language we use, both internally and externally, directly impacts our mindset and actions. By consciously affirming positive beliefs, we begin to rewire our brains, replacing self-doubt with confidence and negativity with possibility and ultimately a grateful soul. Repeating affirmations helps build a foundation of self-worth and reinforces the idea that we are capable of achieving our goals, even in the face of adversity. Over time, these affirmations become ingrained in our subconscious, empowering us to take bold actions and manifest the life we desire.
Furthermore, affirmations serve as a daily reminder of our intentions and values. In the midst of life’s challenges and distractions, it’s easy to lose sight of our true potential. By practicing affirmations regularly, we center ourselves and maintain focus on our purpose. They act as a mental reset, redirecting our energy toward what matters most. Whether it’s cultivating self-love, boosting resilience, or attracting abundance, affirmations act as a compass, guiding us toward the reality we are meant to create. When we affirm our strengths and dreams, we send a clear message to the universe and ourselves that we are ready for growth and transformation and to embrace a thankful heart with all of its unconditional love given to us.
Let’s create a habit of each one of these practices, to grow your abundance, sharpen your soul and make a happy future out of your life.
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