Gratitude - Why is it so important? Can it really change our world? Our answer: Absolutely!
grat·i·tude
/ˈɡradəˌt(y)o͞od/
- the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness:
We can all agree that the world needs more positivity and kindness, especially right now during these times of challenge and change. We at DFA Club know that change, progress, and growth starts with us -- the human population.
“Mahatma Gandhi said it best:
‘Be the Change you wish to see in the world’”
Most people don’t know that gratitude is a secret of success amongst the elite. These individuals, who we either know personally or we watch from afar, have extraordinary results and joy in their life. The common denominator throughout their relationships, their health, their business, or their mindset is: gratitude.
When we are young, we are taught to say thank you - “Thank you for giving me that,” or “Thank you for helping me with that.” While ‘thank you’ is a fundamental building block of good manners and being polite, gratitude has a much deeper meaning and connection. Gratitude is more than just ‘feeling’ thankful; it is a greater appreciation for someone (or something) that produces longer lasting positivity.
““It’s not that happiness brings us gratitude.
It’s that gratitude brings us happiness.””
When you are intentional about expressing gratitude and make it a conscious habit, you will begin to see how your life shifts. As you start vibrating with an attitude of gratitude, you will start to notice a difference in how you feel, how you react to situations, and how things manifest in your life. With this simple action of being gracious and adopting an ‘attitude of gratitude’, you can transform social situations, nurture personal or professional relationships, and overcome challenges.
“Gratitude is the antidote to Fear and Worry”
When you incorporate a spirit of gratitude into your life, you will begin to shift your focus to abundance, therefore attracting more abundance into your life. What you focus on grows. Imagine grateful energy is like a magnet, pulling things to you. You will begin to see your thoughts manifest into reality. With this simple shift in mindset and becoming intentional about expressing gratitude, you can create an ‘effortless” stream of happiness, joy, and abundance all around you. So much so, that others will begin wondering what your ‘secret’ is.
Being grateful is about more than just you. Sometimes the gratitude you share goes above and beyond just enhancing your life. When you SHARE gratitude, you have the ability to enhance another person’s life as well. For example, if someone is sad or feeling anxious and you write them a note of appreciation, you are reminding them of their value, and expressing gratitude for their existence. This is the very thing that we need to go ‘viral’ right now. We need a pandemic of gratitude.
DFA How-To Guide: Weaving Gratitude into Your Life
We have listed some tips below for how to make gratitude a part of your daily routine:
We all have habits, good and bad, already ingrained into our daily lives. There is a concept called ‘habit-stacking’ where you stack new habits onto existing ones to help you introduce them into your already established routines. Try this out! ‘Stack’ your gratitude practice onto your current morning and nighttime skincare routine, or alongside your morning coffee routine. To take this one step further, write the words “What are you grateful for?” on a Post-It note. Place the nore in the drawer next to your skincare products or stick it inside of the cabinet door where your coffee mugs are stored. These notes will serve as reminders to practice gratitude and soon it will become a habit!
Make your daily gratitude routine just as important as any other daily routine -- skincare routine, morning routine, etc.. (Take a peek at our Skin Church segment of our Pop Up Skin Clinic on our YouTube channel to see how being grateful helps you get glowing skin.)
Invest in a gratitude journal. We love the Five Minute Journal! This is a great, guided journal that has daily inspirational quotes and a place for writing down gratitude, affirmations and daily reflection. We recommend leaving this journal on your bedside table as it will help you to incorporate it in your daily AM and PM routines.
Don’t underestimate the power of gratitude and remember to be patient with yourself. Gratitude is a muscle and is a muscle worth building, and building strong. This is a muscle that is being built rep by rep, line by line, thought by thought. You know what the best part is?! You can be grateful for whatever you want - it is 100% up to you! Some days you may have a huge list of gratitude and other days it might be as simple as being grateful for sunshine. Whatever it is, it is perfect.
If consistently practiced, gratitude can become as subconscious as breathing. Take notice of what occurs in the coming days, weeks, months and years and notice how your life begins to shift. We think you will be amazed by the results and we can’t wait to hear all about it.
Please share your gratitude stories with us!
DFA NOW Challenge: When is NOW a good time to master your attitude of gratitude? Right now, send three people a text and tell them why you are grateful they are in your life. You will be amazed at how good you feel after sending this text, not to mention you will make the other person smile!