How to Be More Grateful and Find Joy Everywhere You Look

I remember when I first started meditating I was more of a grumbling guy. I was always looking for perfection in myself and in the world around me. When you see only imperfection, you find faults everywhere. You’re hard on others, and you’re just as hard (if not harder!) on yourself. I think we’ve all been there, right? You get into that complaining mode and it takes you down in terms of your energy. You lose the present moment and in doing so you lose the chance to be grateful.

Life is better when we’re in the present. If I'm harboring negative feelings or complaining about something, then that's an anchor to keep me in the past. If I’m worried about what might happen sometime in the future, then also I lose the present moment. 

How then can I be in the present moment? 

The simple act of being grateful will bring you to the present moment. You're honoring that moment by feeling grateful. When I feel grateful, it automatically brings me to the present moment. 

Meditation and gratitude

When we talk about meditation, it's really about being able to let go. Meditation is being able to completely accept the present moment. It is letting go of our expectations of how things should be, and simply accepting what is. 

We can even go a step further to not just accept but love the present moment fully. To not just accept, but embrace life as it is right now. That is gratitude.

Gratitude is an excellent way to deepen your meditation. If you find yourself struggling during your meditation, if you have a lot of thoughts, and notice yourself getting very jittery or anxious, just taking some time to feel grateful can enable you to have a much deeper meditation.

Maybe you have noticed the more you meditate, the more you appreciate the little things in your life that you had taken for granted. Meditation brings more awareness, and with that heightened awareness, more gratitude flows. 

Who knew that one of the many benefits of meditation is that it grows gratitude?

Honor and gratitude

We have a program in the Art of Living, maybe you've heard of it, it's called Sahaj Samadhi meditation. We often refer to the program as the art of meditation. Sahaj Samadhi is a meditation technique where you receive a mantra. A mantra is a vehicle for meditation. We start the whole program with a thanksgiving ceremony to honor the teachers from the past. This feeling of gratitude is an important step on the path of meditation.

Finding ways to honor others naturally increases gratitude, and is something you can incorporate into your life. 

Gratitude Journals

I think having a gratitude journal is a really nice practice, especially if you can make a habit of it. When the mood takes you, it's nice to write some things that you feel grateful for. There's something very tangible, almost visceral about writing our gratitude down. 

There's often a moment found between thought and pen, and pen and paper while you're writing something down, and before you know it another moment of gratitude begins to flow from your heart. 

Here are some tips for keeping your own gratitude journal.

• Choose a journal in which you feel comfortable writing. 

• Keep your gratitude journal in a convenient spot. You could keep on your bedside table or in a place of reference, or in a desk drawer at work— whatever works best for you. You could also consider having more than one gratitude journal so that one is nearby at all times.

• Schedule a regular time for writing in your journal that you will be able to commit to. For some, that is before bed, and for others, first thing in the morning works best.

• If you’re feeling stuck, just sit with your eyes closed for a few moments. 

Being more grateful

One of the easiest ways to be more grateful is to learn and practice SKY Breath Meditation, Art of Living’s entry-level program. SKY uses specific breathing patterns for deep meditation. Practitioners report feeling more life satisfaction and increased joy! From my perspective as a practitioner and instructor, there is no better way to be more grateful.

Click here to attend a free breath and meditation session online so you can learn more about SKY Breath Meditation and increase your gratitude naturally.