grat·i·tude /ˈɡradəˌto͞od/
noun: the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.
While the word is classified as a noun, I think it perhaps is more of a verb, because showing or expressing is an action. I’m embarrassed that my advanced English class in high school hasn’t translated into knowing some language basics a little better.
I just finished a book, The Gratitude Diaries by Janice Kaplan, thanks to my Morning Hero group.
They encourage but not enforce a monthly book to read or listen to. Side note, I can’t believe that I’m so in love with audio books since I’m mostly a kinesthetic learner, and I used to take pride in my mini home library, but now I\’m so grateful to have an Audible account-thank you mom!
This book opened my heart, and my mind to what gratitude can do for the body too. The author touts that her health improved after some time of keeping a gratitude diary. She shares that she didn’t recall having the periodic migraines that she once did prior to cultivating her attitude of gratitude.
Being a migraine sufferer myself, I decided to take this gratitude thing on.
I gave myself the “prescription” of writing every day for the next 365 days, I started on December 14th.
Every night now, on my nightstand I have a journal that I write 4 things that I was grateful for that day.
Yesterday\’s entry included:
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Morning Pink sunrise
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Full day of patients
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My husband telling me he loves me
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Being able to give Tiffani paid time off
I have always thought of myself as a grateful person, as I partly equated manners such as “please and thank you” with gratitude.
Yet, I’ve come to learn from this book, it’s much more than that.
Being grateful is an outlook on life. Often our outlook can be clouded by what we don’t have, what we want, what others have, etc.
Yet when we appreciate what we have, our physiology can change.
Appreciation affects our hypothalamus in the brain and the neurotransmitter dopamine.
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Better Sleep
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Less Stress
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Improved Metabolism
Consider taking this gratitude prescription, even if just 30 days and let me know how your journey goes.
“It is not joy that makes us grateful, it is gratitude that makes us joyful.” -David Steindl-Rast
Source: https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/prefrontal-nudity/201211/the-grateful-brain
Book: https://www.amazon.com/Gratitude-Diaries-Looking-Bright-Transform/dp/1101984147
