#MindfulMonday with Riley with this week's topic: Gratitude...

#MindfulMonday with Riley with this week's topic: Gratitude. I know, it's rather a long post today, but Gratitude deserves more than a few sentences. In my book, it deserves a long ass post, because it can truly make a difference on someone's life ❤ Once again, I hope that for those who care, you will enjoy this post ❤ Every morning when I wake up, which is almost always at some point between 7 and 8 in the morning, the first thing that I do is to sit and write out my morning gratitude list. It always starts with, “Today I Am Grateful For” The funny thing? Each morning when I write out my gratitude list, I realize just how much I do have to be grateful for. There are things that we all take for granted — almost like given truths in our lives. Whether it’s the roof over our heads, the food on our plates or the clothes on our backs, it’s there and we always expect those things to be there. But for many people in the world, it’s not there. They lack the basic necessities in life. Food, water and shelter, along with many other things. But my list starts even more basic than that. I’m grateful for the air that I breathe, for the heart beating 🩸 in my chest, for the organs in my body, for every living cell and fiber that are functioning towards my survival, I am grateful. We forget about those things from time to time. Until of course these things come into jeopardy. Gratitude can change your life because it makes you appreciate what you have rather than what you don’t have. Gratitude can change your life because it is the single most powerful source of inspiration that any person can tap into if they simply just stop and paid attention to the simplistic beauty and miracle of life. I know, I know. Maybe I’m in the minority when I say that gratitude can change your life. Maybe I’m part of the select few voices out there who really know, deep down inside that a transformational shift can occur when you become utterly grateful for everything in your life, even your problems. Or maybe not. Maybe countless others out there hear the little voice inside their heads about needing to be grateful, and just maybe… maybe they don’t follow that advice. But I will tell you this — having true gratitude for things has completely changed my life. I transformed from a cynic and a pessimist, doubting everything, into a positive-thinking junkie, fueled by the momentum of deep-down appreciation for all things. Whatever realm of thought you’re living in, the importance of gratitude cannot be underestimated. There are specific reasons why gratitude can change your life, and if you listen to them and truly hear the message beyond the words, there are some incredible things that will begin to happen for you over time. One way that gratitude can change your life is by making you happier. Studies have confirmed that having gratitude does in fact make you feel happier. Two psychologists, Dr. Robert A. Emmons from from the University of California, and Dr. Michael E. McCullough from the University of Miami, have committed much of their research careers to studying the effects of gratitude. In one such study, the researchers asked a group of people to write a few sentences every week about a particular topic. One group was instructed to write about things that didn’t make them happy. Another was instructed to write about things that they were grateful for. And the control group was instructed to write about things that had occurred but with no focus towards being positive or negative. The results? The group that was instructed to write about things that they were grateful for were far more happier and optimistic about their lives than the group that had focused on things that had occurred in a negative light. When we’re grateful for things, it’s a natural occurrence to be happier about life. You realize the things you have rather than the things you don’t. It’s far easier to go about your day in a state of appreciation when you’re grateful than when you’re not. Think about it.