When working towards well-being, emotional, mental, or spiritual goals, I always start by looking for patterns. Patterns of thought, feelings, actions, reactions etc. If I find that I am repeating something, I stop and try and look at what is happening. The reason why I do this is to see if any non-serving subconscious programs are running, that I am not aware of, or if I am missing anything in front of me due to me being too close to a situation or if my awareness is too focused. So what has this got to do with why gratitude can increase your well-being? Well, one pattern that seems to come up with people working towards their well-being goals frequently is a general lack of appreciation. This does not mean they are not grateful, but instead, they are not consciously expressing it.
Why Gratitude Can Increase Your Well-Being
All too often when you are caught up in a drama, situation, event etc. you become consumed by it. It becomes very easy to slip into a ‘me and them’ scenario when so consumed or focused (What Is The Ego?). You may view things from your point of view and be unable to see and acknowledge others around you. The problem with this is that you lose the humanity in connections with others. When you interact with another person, you are connecting with yourself. You are an energy being who is one with all. So when you connect with someone else you are acknowledging yourself. When you see someone suffer, you see suffering within yourself. When you see someone in pain, you feel their pain. This empathy is an intrinsic part of what it is to connect with and remember your true identity. This is what you lose when you disconnect with those around you and focus on you and your drama’s, situations, events etc. It creates spiritual stagnation.
A lack of gratitude is often a warning sign that you are entering a self-focused reality that you are creating. This is because you no longer see the humanity (yourself) in others. The more you lose gratitude, the more you create energetic separation (‘me and them’) and build a stronger ego (that reinforces and strengthens the ‘me and them’ view). Unfortunately, the lack of gratitude tends to cause others to react to you in ways that reinforce your ‘me and them’ viewpoint. No one likes ingratitude, and people react to this.
Gratitude is a recognition and acknowledgement of yourself in others. It is a meeting of two beings who recognise themselves as the same and express it. Expressing gratitude is important as it requires action. Don’t think it, acknowledge it.
Speak with gratitude.
Act with gratitude.
React with gratitude.
Live with gratitude.
