Life

5 Simple Ways You Can Boost Your Happiness, Health and Success Through Gratitude

Published

8 years ago

Jan 29, 2017

In today’s fast-paced world, it is easy to get overwhelmed by all the noise around you. When it seems like your to-do list keeps getting longer and longer and you can’t find the time to do the things you love, it is easy to get trapped into thinking that your life sucks. Sometimes, all it needs is one small argument with a friend or a little challenge at work, and we start pitying ourselves for how bad life is.

But the truth is, life is exactly what you make of it. The questions you ask yourself throughout the day and the things you focus on will make or break your life. When you ask yourself why your life is crappy and you can´t seem to do anything right, that´s exactly what your brain will show you: A life that sucks!

But the opposite holds true as well: Ask yourself what’s great about your life, and suddenly you will feel completely different emotions. One of these emotions is gratitude, and it has been shown by research to be one of the most effective ways to boost emotional well-being, health, happiness, self-esteem, and even success at work!

In addition, people that practice gratitude on a consistent basis tend to live several years longer, exercise more, improves your marriage, and makes you feel better about yourself and life.

Here are 5 simple ways to feel more gratitude in your life every day:

1. Journaling

One of the most commonly practiced methods, journaling allows us to focus our minds on all the great things in our life by putting it on paper. You can either do this in the morning by counting everything that you are grateful to be and have in your life, such as your family and friends, health, a job, anything that you are happy about.

You can also use it in the evening to recount your day and look back at specific conversations or events that you are grateful for. The great thing about journaling is, you can always go back and see how many great things have happened in your life in the past.

Whenever we get overwhelmed, it is easy to think that all of the sudden, our lives suck and we will never be happy again. But if you have a gratitude journal, you can go back and read about all the great things in your life. Just by doing that, you will be able to get in a more resourceful state.

“May I suggest that you write, that you keep journals, that you express your thoughts on paper…You will bless the lives of many—your families and others—now and in the years to come.” – Gordon B. Hinckley

2. Count all your blessings

Writing down everything you are grateful for is great, but it doesn’t even need to be that fancy. Oftentimes, I prefer to simply think of as many things as possible that I love about my life right after waking up. Whether you do that in the form of meditation, prayer, or simply counting your blessings doesn’t matter. What is important is that you start your day focusing on all the good things in your life.

3. What do you get to do?

When waking up, most people focus on what they have to do. When your to-do list is growing larger every day and you feel yourself getting overwhelmed, it is easy to feel like a hamster in a wheel, constantly hustling but getting nowhere.

In those moments, ask yourself: “What do I get to do today?” What can I do today that was once just a dream, and how lucky am I to live with the people I love? Whatever you are doing today, chances are, at some point in the past, it was just a goal. Before you had that job or married your spouse, you would have given everything to be in the position you are in right now. Remind yourself of that each day!

4. Spread appreciation

The great thing about gratitude is, it’s contagious. Once you start spreading good vibes, everyone else will join you. When you share with other people what you are grateful for, not only will it make you happier, but also them.

One of the most powerful ways to spread gratitude is by telling the people closest to you how much you love them. When was the last time you actually took time to tell your spouse or your kids how much you appreciate them? If it has been a while, maybe it’s time to spread some gratitude. Tell them how much they mean to you and how happy you are to have them in your life. I bet you won’t regret it!

“If you want to turn your life around, try thankfulness. It will change your life mightily.” – Gerald Good

5. The gratitude challenge

This challenge is a fun way to hold yourself accountable for creating more gratitude in your life. Find a partner and every morning, share three things that you are grateful for in your life. The challenge is, every day, you have to find three new things, whether big or small. This can range from a beautiful sunset over a great conversation you had to simply being alive.

How has showing more gratitude changed your life? Please leave your thoughts below!

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Max Weigand

Max Weigand writes about self-development, psychology, and habit formation.

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Life

How Learning the Skill of Hope Can Change Everything

Hope isn’t wishful thinking. It’s a state of being and a skill that has profound evidence of helping people achieve success in life

Published

2 weeks ago

Jan 6, 2025

Daniel Bell

Image Credit: Midjourney

Hope isn’t wishful thinking. It’s a state of being and a skill that has profound evidence of helping people achieve success in life.

Wishful thinking, on the other hand, is like having dreams in the sky without a ladder to climb, having a destination without a map, or trying to operate a jet-engine airplane without instructions. It sounds nice but is impossible to realize. You don’t have what you need to make it happen!

What Real Hope Is

Real hope is actionable, practical, and realistic. Better yet, it’s feasible and can be learned.

One popular approach is Hope Theory. This concept is used by colleges to study how hope impacts students’ academic performance. Researchers found that students with high levels of hope achieve better grades and are more likely to graduate compared to those with less hope.

Hope can be broken down into two components:

Pathways – The “how to” of hope. This is where people think of and establish plans for achieving their goals.
Agency – The “I can” of hope. This is the belief that the person can accomplish their goals.

Does Hope Really Work?

According to Webster’s Dictionary, hope as a noun is defined as: “desire accompanied by expectation of or belief in fulfillment.”

As humans, we are wired to crave fulfillment. We have the ability to envision it and, through hope, make it a reality.

My Experience with Hope

For 13 years, I was a hopeless human. During my time working at a luxury hotel as a front desk agent earning $11.42 per hour, I felt the sting of hopelessness the most.

The regret of feeling my time was being stolen from me lingered every time I clocked in. Eventually, I decided to do something about it.

I gave myself permission to hope for something better. I began establishing pathways to success and regained agency by learning from self-help books and seeking mentorship.

Because I took action toward something I desired, I now feel more hope and joy than I ever felt hopelessness. Hope changed me.

Hope Actually Improves Your Life

Wishful thinking doesn’t work, and false hope is equally ineffective. Real hope, however, is directly tied to success in all areas of life.

Studies show that hopeful people tend to:

Demonstrate better problem-solving skills
Cultivate healthier relationships
Maintain stronger motivation to achieve goals
Exhibit better work ethic
Have a positive outlook on life

These benefits can impact work life, family life, habit-building, mental health, physical health, and spiritual practice. Imagine how much better your life could be by applying real hope to all these areas.

How to Develop the Skill to Hope

As acclaimed French writer Jean Giono wrote in The Man Who Planted Trees:
“There are also times in life when a person has to rush off in pursuit of hopefulness.”

If you are at one of those times, here are ways to develop the skill to hope:

1. Dream Again

To cultivate hope, you need to believe in its possibility. Start by:

Reflecting on what you’re passionate about, your values, and what you want to achieve.
Writing your dreams down, sharing them with someone encouraging, or saying them out loud.
Creating a vision board to make your dreams feel more tangible.

Dreams are the foundation of hope—they give you something meaningful to aspire toward.

2. Create an Environment of Hope

Set Goals: Write down your goals and create a plan to achieve them.
Visualize Success: Use inspirational quotes, photos, or tools like dumbbells or canvases to remind yourself of your goals.
Build a Resource Library: Collect books, eBooks, or audiobooks about hope and success to inspire you.

An environment that fosters hope will keep you motivated, resilient, and focused.

3. Face the Challenges

Don’t avoid challenges—overcoming them builds confidence. Participating in challenging activities, like strategic games, can enhance your problem-solving skills and reinforce hope.

4. Commit to Wisdom

Seek wisdom from those who have achieved what you aspire to. Whether through books, blogs, or social media platforms, learn from their journeys. Wisdom provides the foundation for real, actionable hope.

5. Take Note of Small Wins

Reflecting on past victories can fuel your hope for the future. Ask yourself:

What challenges have I already overcome?
How did I feel when I succeeded?

By remembering those feelings of happiness, relief, or satisfaction, your brain will naturally adopt a more hopeful mindset.

Conclusion

Hope is more than wishful thinking—it’s a powerful skill that can transform your life. By dreaming again, creating a hopeful environment, facing challenges, seeking wisdom, and celebrating small wins, you can develop the real hope necessary for success in all aspects of life.

Let hope guide you toward a brighter, more fulfilling future.

Life

The 5 Stages of a Quarter-Life Crisis & What You Can Do

A quarter-life crisis isn’t a sign you’ve lost your way; it’s a sign you’re fighting for a life that’s truly yours.

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3 weeks ago

Dec 27, 2024

CT Dool

Image Credit: Midjourney

The quarter-life crisis is a well-defined set of stages—Trapped, Checking Out, Separation, Exploration, Rebuilding—one goes through in breaking free from feelings of meaninglessness, lack of fulfillment, and misalignment with purpose. I detail the stages and interweave my story below. (more…)

Life

Here’s The Thing About Learning, Unlearning, and Relearning

Stop hoarding and start sharing your knowledge and wealth for the benefit of humankind

Published

2 months ago

Nov 21, 2024

M.S. Rao

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Few people have the habit of hoarding their wealth without spending. However, it limits their motivation as they tend to get into their comfort zones. When people start spending money, then there will be depletion in their coffers. (more…)