What is Gratitude

What is Gratitude? Quick Google search uncovered this definition:

the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.

I noticed in definition “to return kindness” and right away I started to contest it in my mind. Returning kindness is very human and a positive habit to have but it is not the essence of practicing gratitude as a spiritual discipline.

Gratitude definitely isn’t about being nice to people even though you feel you want to punch them in the face, it’s about an ability to find something good, perhaps a lesson to be learnt in any situation. It’s about being genuinely thankful for whatever transpires.

You don’t need to wait for Thanksgving – you don’t need special days for this, every day brings something to be grateful for. The more adept you become the more things you will find during the day to be thankful for.

Download the FREE self-reflection questions/prompts guide. This is a powerful tool that can help you to get deep insights into your life and move forward towards your deepest dreams.

As a spiritual discipline gratitude means finding something to be grateful for in everything, even in the most unkind situations. But this is an extreme. You can get there eventually if you practice long enough along with meditation and other spiritual practices.

You don’t need to be involved in any spiritual practices to do the daily gratitude exercises. While it is easier to do when you have a structure and commit to doing it for a certain period of time, you can just do it with a piece of paper and a pen. Every day. Every time you remember it throughout the day and can spare a minute or two.

If you are someone like me and need a structure to keep you going you can check our gratitude journals here. You can also check our article about the journals here.

Whatever approach you choose – be it structured with prompts and other helpful tools or unstructured with pen and paper, you can benefit greatly with a consistent daily practice.

You can check out the benefits of gratitude practice in the article “5 Benefits of Gratitude Practice“.

Gratitude quotes is another way to get deep insights into what the gratitude is. Check out the “10 Inspirational Gratitude Quotes” to understand better the concept.

You can also check out our weekly “15 Gratitude Prompts for Your Gratitude Journal” to start your weekly, longer gratitude practice.

Check the “Zen Living Gratitude Journals” to see if it is something you would love to have.

Download the FREE self-reflection questions/prompts guide. This is a powerful tool that can help you to get deep insights into your life and move forward towards your deepest dreams.