“Choose Happy”, is it really that simple?
Choosing to be happy is so broad, but when you think about something you are grateful to have in your life, it lifts your mood. Choosing to be happy, is really about choosing gratitude.
Gratitude is something we should practice all year round and daily if possible.
“Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.” Oprah Winfrey
I have informally practiced gratitude for a long time and I attribute it to my generally happy and positive disposition. I do not always have tangible proof of my practice, so that is something I want to work on. I would like to become more consistent with a tangible process like a gratitude journal. Practicing gratitude can be quick and easy, click here to get a copy of my FREE Gratitude Handbook
“Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.”
William Arthur Ward
Discovering Whimsy Gratitude Handbook
This handbook has 7 different activities to practice gratitude. Each activity in the handbook is easy and will help you feel more grateful, which will help you feel happier and more joyful! One of my favorite activities from the handbook is a quick and easy Daily Gratitude Practice.
Daily Gratitude Reflection
At some point during the day, think about a few things for which you are grateful. Maybe you could think about it while in the shower, during your commute to or from work, or do it while on a walk. Make a point to think about 1-3 things each day. Start with the easy ones, such as I am grateful for my family, my health and my employment, etc., but come up with new things each day, don’t keep repeating the same thing. Try daily gratitude reflection for a week, and see if you feel different.
This is the practice I do most often since it only requires me to change the course of my thoughts for a moment, but it has a huge impact on me and how I am feeling.
Gratitude Journal
If you want to keep track of all the things you think about during your daily gratitude practice, get a beautiful notebook, but really any notebook will do to record what you are grateful for. You could also use post-its to jot down the items from your daily gratitude practice. Another way to record your gratitude reflection, make a quick note on your calendar, it could be a paper calendar, or digital. This method is excellent for visual people since you can see your gratitude progress. It would be great to see what I was grateful for over the course of a week, a month, and hopefully a year.
Who are you grateful to have in your life? TELL THEM!
Verbalize gratitude several times during the week. Make a point to tell someone you appreciate them and most importantly, why you appreciate them. It can be anyone!! If you are shy, start with someone you know.
“Everyone enjoys being acknowledged and appreciated. Sometimes even the simplest act of gratitude can change someone’s entire day. Take the time to recognize and value the people around you and appreciate those who make a difference in your lives.” Roy T. Bennett
Gratitude quotes from Wisdom Quotes
Cheers,
Amy
Thank you for the reminder to count our blessings every day. My favorite saying is “People may forget what you said or did,but not how you made them feel. I feel greatful that you are my daughter, love Mom
Thank you!!! I really love that quote, I know it is something grandma Shirley liked to say too. The quote is from Dr. Maya Angelou.
I really love this, and these are steps I need to try to implement. I agree completely that there is more to being happy than just “choosing happy.” I struggle with gratitude because I naturally just focus on whatever is stressing me out or bringing me down. However, when you do take time to reflect on what you have to be thankful for, it really does change your mood and outlook. Thank you for these great tips!
Thank you for reading Amber. Whenever I am feeling a little down, I try to think of at least one thing I am grateful for and I start to feel a little better.
Yes to ALL of this !! I need to be grateful now more than ever and I’ve been having a hard time with that. Thank you so much for the reminder ❤️
Thank you for taking the time to read Natalie. The nice thing about trying to think about what we are grateful for can be done anytime, anywhere.
Thank you for sharing. Gratitude should absolutely be expressed daily!
Hello April, thank you for taking time to read. Daily expressions of gratitude is something I strive to do too.
Love these tips so much! one of my biggest goals for 2018 was to express more gratitude! adding some of these tips to my vision board! <3
Hi Ana, Thank you for taking time to read my post!! I am glad you found the ideas useful.
I agree. I believe gratitude is the key to true happiness. There are people who have very little and are grateful and very happy. And there are those who seemingly have everything but are not happy and lonely.
Angie, thank you for reading. It is true, some people continue to collect things but never appreciate them, so they are never satisfied.