For those of you that are skeptical of “mindfulness”, it’s simply a tool of gratitude. You see, mindfulness brings gratitude and visa-versa. Increased gratitude is a result of practicing mindfulness, whether you label it that or not.
As we pay more attention to our thoughts and “being in the moment”, we become increasingly aware of the thoughts (typically things about our past or fears of our future) that block us from appreciating the good we have in our lives. More often that not, it is the little and simple things that mean the most to us, when we are in the present moments.
Think about this: Right now, in this very moments, there are tons of people that would consider their prayers answered if that had only a portion of what you have.
When we are truly in the moment, we are able to see the beauty and the good all around the chaos we may think is our reality. Gratitude can shift you from negative emotions for a moment.
Have you ever wondered why negativity and fears seems to grow in leaps and bounds? It is actually our brains default function. It is simply built with a greater sensitivity to unpleasant news or seeing “the bad”. It is so automatic it can be detected at the earliest stage of the brain’s information processing. Mindfulness is a key factor in overcoming that natural negativity bias. It helps to change the negative self-talk and create new pathways for our thoughts to follow. (more on this later in the week).
So for today, think of 5 things you are grateful for and share at least one in the comments!