Have you ever tried stopping everything you were doing and put a pause on the thoughts that were running through your mind? Try doing it randomly as often as you can and notice whether it’s mainly negative complaints or expressions of joy and thankfulness. If it’s the former, great, you recognize what your mind is occupied with. If it’s the latter, that’s great too because of the gifts you’ll receive emotionally and mentally when you adopt an attitude of being thankful for whatever you have in your life. While it might be a harder to be thankful for the challenges that you grapple with, one can learn to see the benefits of it which usually come later if we are open to it.

I have been practicing being thankful for 10 things at a time done 4 times daily and have been having some amazing results in not more than 2 weeks of doing this consistently. Here are a few…

Letting Go
I have found that I have been able to set free feelings of anger when I come into contact with inconsiderate acts of selfishness and greediness- my 2 hot buttons in life. This has been evident by my not having to “enforce” my rules on others and ensuring that when I see it, I don’t have to take action by myself and immediately like I used to through reprimanding the other party.

The Smallest Things In Life
I seem to be able to appreciate the smallest things that happen daily mainly because I have conditioned my mind 4 times a day to be thankful, it’s almost become a habit. This practice allows me to think of having something as simple as having a bed, enjoying the comfortable mattress, having a roof above my head and coming back to a home where food is cooked. These are the simple things I have taken for granted all my life because I always had it yet so many others right this moment are in search of their next meal not knowing if they will be fed this afternoon or tonight.

Easy Listing
I was driving to attend a meeting this morning and decided to start the first of my daily exercises while driving and I started with being thankful that I had a car… here is where the trail of thankfulness started. Since I had a car…

  • I did not have to leave a lot earlier.
  • I could sleep more and have better rest.
  • I can be in total comfort while on my way to work.
  • I enjoy the view and observe people on the way, something I enjoy doing when in a public place.
  • I can enjoy the radio in the comfort of my own space and talk on the phone without having to adjust my volume.
  • I am not inconvenienced by the time schedule of public transport.
  • I can appreciate the brilliance of Man to create such a wonderful invention.
  • I can sit in comfort while moving from one place to another.

The list can be endless if we focus on what’s really going right!

Domino Effect of Gratitude
This effect looks at how being thankful for one thing makes you thankful for the next, i.e. related reasons which spill over very naturally into others. When I now focus on gratitude on one line of thinking, it leads me immediately to the next related line. What does this mean? For example, I’ll pick my new bicycle that I bought this week. I am thankful that I was able to afford such a beautiful bike. I am thankful that I am physically and mentally able and that my limbs are in tact to ride this bike the way I choose to. It allows me to either exercise for leisure and pass through places cars may not necessarily be able to do so. This offers the opportunity to experience the serene spots in Singapore which offer peace and tranquillity not seen in many parts of the world. It progresses to my being thankful for having that time to take a break and bike around the estate where the roads are perfect for cycling with no bumps and crevices, etc.

Gratitude Starts From The Mind
What your mind is most focused on and consumed by occupies your reality. Just by what you choose to think, you create energy fields within your body which affect your emotional well-being. As you think, so you become. Likewise, complaining, chiding and not having anything good to say about people and your surrounding sets you up for noticing the blotches, specks and cracks among life’s treasures. If that’s what you seek, that’s what you’ll find. It is in your hands to determine your happiness by learning to be grateful.