The art of practising gratitude every day (and why it is the most powerful force in the world)

In life perspective is everything. How you see. How you interpret. How you respond. How you choose in each moment to view yourself, your life, and those around you. It’s the one thing you have absolute control over.

But where can we find in ourselves the resolve to meet life with the strength, determination and courage we need to achieve our wildest dreams whilst also keeping an open mind and an open heart?

It is, and always has been, our ability along the way to be grateful for what we have today.

The power of gratitude

Gratitude is a vehicle that allows you to access your greatest point of being. It enables you to strive for greatness whilst also loving where you are. It opens up every realm of possibility and dissolves all resistance to you achieving your greatest capability.

It sets the foundation for joy, for freedom, for resilience, and for appreciation for everything around you. From your loved ones to your health, your friendships to the success you have achieved so far, the beautiful landscapes you enjoy, to the powerful music that lights you up and excites you.

Gratitude is the most powerful force on the planet because it enables you to truly see what is happening around you and where you fit into it.

Perspective is everything

Think for a moment of the complexity of your being. From your body and the trillions of cells operating in unison to keep you alive, to the biological process of how you actually got here, and then how your parents got here. The thousands of individual moments in the history of the ages that mean you are in this place in space and time.

Even if your existence isn’t quite how you want it to be, just take a moment to appreciate the process of you simply being here. Think of all the parts of your body that serve you every day, that will tirelessly serve, and serve time and time again, to let you live this extraordinary life – just take a moment to be grateful.

Think of the seemingly chance encounters between star-crossed ancestors that mean you are alive today. The looks and hopes that brought you to life. The effort of your lineage. The hard work of those that have gone before you. The opportunities available to you even if you don’t always see them.

Think of the people you love. Friends. Family. Even random strangers sharing their generosity, their gifts. Think of your fellow citizens making this world more amazing. Artists, musicians, thinkers, architects, volunteers, carers and innovators. We all have the opportunity to make this world a better place.

Focus on what’s important

Even the hardest moments in your life are opportunities for growth, understanding and forgiveness. Forgiveness of others and especially the forgiveness of your self is paramount to moving forward in life.

Let go of any judgement you may be holding onto about who you are and where you think you should be. Just take a moment to appreciate everything you have do have. Think how grateful your ancient ancestors would be to have just a fraction of the luxury you experience every day.

Gratitude helps you focus on what’s important by empowering you to let go of what isn’t. It allows you to understand the journey you have been on to get where you are now and replace any negative feelings with positive ones.

Practice gratitude every day

Gratitude starts with the easy things. Your life, your health and your loved ones. With practice, you can let it spread to every area of your life, including the hardest moments that challenge you the most.

Everything in your life has made you who you are. Be grateful for all of it because it has made you into a unique individual with very specific gifts that you can bring to the world. Not in spite of your past but precisely because of it.

Choose yourself, choose your life and from there you can bring the best out of yourself every day.