What does gratitude exactly mean? The Oxford definition is “the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.” I wanted to discuss this topic today because it seems to go unnoticed in life sometimes.
The other day I went to the beach by myself to read for a class. I was sitting on the sand and I took in everything around me. Laughter filled the air, there was not a cloud in sight, and faces were smiling everywhere you looked! I couldn’t believe that I was at the beach in the middle of October with so many other cheerful people. At that moment I felt so grateful that I am alive, happy, and healthy. I have so many awesome friends and family that support me in such a positive environment.
Life is hectic and it’s easy to get stressed out sometimes, but the moments you can cherish don’t compare to anything else. I believe there is universal magic, so being able to feel those special moments is something to be grateful for.
Practicing Gratitude
Last year I took a Consumer Behavior class and my last assignment of the semester was to journal for about a month. We were able to write down anything in the journal; the only requirement was to do it daily! I was super excited about this assignment because my best friend, Lara, just came back from Barcelona and she bought me this super cute journal! My journal was ready to go and I couldn’t wait to start!
I decided that I was going to write about recaps of my day and what my favorite part of the day was. The first few of the entries were all sort of the same. I would talk about how I was happy to play beach volleyball, excited that the weekend was approaching, or that I had a special event coming up.
However, as I progressed into the assignment, I started writing about how grateful I was for the life I have. It was a very emotional assignment for me because I came in touch with the world around me. As I continued writing, I felt significantly happier. I was able to appreciate what was going on in life more often and made me feel so blissful and happy. My life improved because I was doing this! I still journal today because of this assignment and I can confidently say my life has been the best it could be because I am able to reflect on all of the positive things happening. If you don’t journal, I highly recommend it, for it can lead you to a happier life!