3 Life Lessons You Can Learn from Being Grateful

Rebecca Lewis November 24, 2014

“Thank you.” It is a very short sentence. But sometimes, it is the hardest thing to say. We can easily say “Thanks” to a colleague who did something good for us, but when it comes to showing gratitude for even the small positive experiences we had, most of us are struggling.

Scientific evidences on the health benefits of gratitude are piling up. Gratitude is a key ingredient to happiness and success, so we must really try to incorporate it in our daily life.

Below are some of the best life lessons we can learn out of simply being thankful.

Appreciation fuels success.

You could have all the wealth the world has to offer. But if you don’t appreciate it, you will never feel that you are successful. Without gratitude, you will never feel fulfilled and satisfied about your life. Instead, you will always be searching for more. You may find yourself stressing about why you cannot make enough money, get the recognition you deserve, or achieve a specific goal. When you are too focused on your ever-changing goals, you miss to appreciate the things you have accomplished so far. When you incorporate gratitude in your daily life, you begin to realise that most of the time, it’s the small accomplishments and positive experiences that make us feel really successful.

The best things in life are free.

Gratitude makes you appreciate every moment of your life. It changes your perspective. When you begin to thank life of the beautiful trees, the lovely flowers, the bitter-sweet taste of coffee, the 30-minute cuddle with your hubby, the cute yawning of your cat, or the nice, warm weather outside, you begin to realise that everything you ask for are there, right in front of you.

Trials are opportunities.

You know you have a great sense of gratitude when even in the midst of adversity you find yourself being thankful and appreciative. As much as possible, we hate going through challenges because no matter how mild or tough they are, challenges give us pain and discomfort. But as they say “there’s a rainbow after the storm”. In every cloud of doubt there is a silver lining. Trials are not meant to tear us down. They are meant to make us stronger and tougher. They are meant to help us develop a better version of ourselves. For instance, losing a loved one makes us realise the importance of time and showing our love whenever we could. Losing our job makes us realise the importance of having one, instead of fretting about how stressful it can be.

Gratitude is one of the best habits you can incorporate in your life today to be happier and healthier. When you cultivate gratitude, compassion follows. And when you have a compassionate heart, you begin to see things in a totally different perspective. You begin to see happiness everywhere, at any point in your life – even during moments of despair.