Written by Rhian Hunter
Gratitude is a thankful appreciation for what one receives or the goodness that we experience in our lives, whether tangible or intangible. Through gratitude we can connect to something larger than ourselves as individuals, whether to other people, nature or a higher power.
You can feel and express gratitude in multiple ways. You can apply it to the past (retrieve memories and be thankful for past blessings), the present (not taking good fortune for granted as it comes), and to the future, by maintaining a hopeful and optimistic attitude.
As I write this article, I sit on one of our connecting flights to Tasmania and am feeling overwhelmed with gratitude. Thankful that we live in a country that has handled this pandemic so well, grateful that despite snap lockdowns, border restrictions, and several flight changes here we are – en route to our elopement/honeymoon destination.
It can be hard trying to organise or navigate any major event during a pandemic, and my best advice to anyone doing so is to practice gratitude. For the last fortnight, I remained hopeful and optimistic that things would work out, but I also released attachment to the outcomes, and just counted our blessings that at the very least we and our little family were together, happy, healthy and well.
It is well researched that practicing gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness, so why not start practicing today? Get out your pen and paper and write about something your thankful for, or turn a negative into a positive, or simply thank someone mentally once a day, and watch your mental state grow stronger as a result. I hope you all have lots to be thankful for this month