Practicing gratitude is one of the best ways you can spend your time. It helps prevent apathy and gives a new perspective to your life. If you have a hard time being grateful for things in your current life, no amount of improvement will make things better. If you’re not grateful for what you already have, you won’t be satisfied with anything you get in the future.
There’s a practice in Stoicism called ‘negative visualization’. In your mind, visualize losing everything and everyone you care about. Think about never seeing their smile again, never hearing them laugh. Think about becoming paralyzed, never being able to walk again. Think about losing everything you’ve ever worked for, gone in a moment. Really feel it, go deep and sit with the emotions that come. Think about what you want most in life and visualize never getting it. Feel the pain of that failure.
Now bring yourself back to the present, bring your loved ones back to life. Look at what you still have in your life, see that you can still go after what you want, and how it’s not too late. Let the feeling of gratitude wash over you.
Everything can change, a Stoic keeps this in mind. It helps you to be grateful and cherish what you already have. It doesn’t stop you from pursuing goals, it just helps keep you grounded along the way and not take anything for granted. It also helps for when you do actually lose something or someone you care about. You’ve already lived it, in a way, you’ve already faced some of the emotions associated with that loss.
Another simple way to practice gratitude is to appreciate the little things in life. As cliché as it is, watching the sunrise is a good example. Enjoying silence with a cup of coffee in the morning. The smell of a summer breeze. A pleasant conversation with a friend. Good food. The rumble of driving a car without the radio. The smell of fresh bread. The taste of fresh tomatoes. Watching a candle burn. Watching your children play. There are so many things to enjoy in this world, but it’s easy to forget the little things that can bring joy.
The pursuit of self-improvement can easily become a pursuit that is blind to the present. It’s easy to always be looking to the future, even when there’s plenty to love about the present that gets neglected. We become so focused that we become blind to what we already have. Gratitude isn’t about ‘settling’ for what you have, it’s about showing appreciation for what you have while you pursue what you want.
If you always take time to appreciate that which you have, you’ll be sure to appreciate that which you end up having. Being grateful doesn’t prevent you from pursuing a better life, it just means you’ll like that life once you get there. If you expect something in the future to bring you everlasting happiness, you’re going to be disappointed. But if you look at what you already can be happy about, anything you pursue can add joy to your life, instead of being the only source of happiness. “I’ll be happy once I…” isn’t a good life strategy. Find what brings you joy on a daily basis. Life isn’t meant to be eternally happy, though, it has its ups and downs. But there’s always something to be grateful for. Sometimes you just have to stop running in order to see it.
There’s wisdom in the old saying, “Sometimes you just have to stop and smell the roses.” Slow down, take stock of what is going well in your life along with what you want to change. In your pursuit of excellence, don’t forget to appreciate the road along the way. Take time for gratitude and I guarantee your life will be more peaceful.
For the next week, write down three things you’re grateful for every morning. No matter how big or small, just bring these things to your attention. I’ve found it’s an incredibly positive way to start the day. Practicing gratitude will improve your life, I guarantee it.