Think about the time when you were short of money and you were praying to God for more. But did you thank God when you had enough money to pay your bills, buy your grocery stuff and new clothes for your birthday? Think about the time when you were frantically searching for a job and praying to God to make your plans work. But did you thank God when you completed your graduation successfully? Think about the time when you were praying to God for a rendezvous with your life partner. But did you thank God when your parents were taking care of you since the day you were born?
We forget thanking God when everything is going off without a hitch rather we complain that life seems so monotonous. But when we encounter difficulties, we get restless and start praying to God that everything falls into place. If we have thanked God in the first place, then we wouldn’t have come across such situations. Gratitude is not a one-time activity; it should be inculcated as a habit. If you want to practice gratitude, you can follow some steps-
1) Start your day with thanking God the moment you wake up. Firstly, thank Him that you are alive and feeling fresh. Say thanks for a good sleep. Say thanks for blessing you with a new day which can bring a lot of surprises for you.
2) When you see the sun shining, say thanks for the dazzling sunshine. Say thanks for the birds that are chirping to make you feel the freshness of the morning. Thank your mom for serving you breakfast and tea.
3) Before you have the first meal of the day, think about the various people who were involved in the process of delivering the meal to you, the farmers that sowed and reaped the crops, and the people who transferred it to stores, your mom who cooked it for you. While you eat, feel the energy it is giving to your body and the taste which is blending in your mouth. So whenever you eat or drink something, thank God for the nourishment it is providing you.
4) Think about all your body parts that are functioning properly. Your eyes that enable you to see the world and behold its beauty, your nose which makes you smell the earth after the rain, your legs that help you walk and dance, your ears that can listen to a soothing piece of music, your arms and hands that help you hug people, your heart that feels emotions, your fully functioning organs, sense of touch, almost everything in your body that makes you feel alive and healthy.
5) Whenever you are paying any bills or receiving your pay checks, say thanks for the money you are spending or receiving. Feel yourself luckier than any other person who cannot afford that.
6) While walking down the street, if you see poor people begging or sitting on the walkaway, say thanks to God for your wonderful home, a comfortable bed and for all the gadgets that are making your life easier.
7) If you are facing problems and complaining to your family or friends about those, firstly thank God for bestowing you with such people to share your feelings.
8) You should say thanks for the means of transport that help you to reach office and also make you travel around the world.
9) Instead of complaining about your job, think about the opportunities it is offering you to spring up. There are people who are jobless and badly need a job. Say thanks for whatever you have got.
10) Before going to sleep, think about the best thing that happened to you during the day and thank God for that thing.
Always remember, whenever you thank God for whatever you have got, you will be rewarded with more. Your every complaint will invite circumstances which will make you complain more. So, try to diffuse gratitude into your nerves and each and every cell of your body and be ready to witness wonders.
An Alley to Eternal Bliss!! 