The link between gratitude and joy
Yesterday it was World Gratitude Day, and I’d like to pay a little bit of attention to the practise of Gratitude.
A couple of months ago I took on a challenge to read a book, and to then read four chapters of that book for a consecutive 90 days. I am halfway through this challenge today, and the chapter I love most is the chapter on Gratitude.
I’d like to share a little bit of this 111-year-old text with you from the book ‘The Science of Getting Rich’ by Wallace D. Wattles. In chapter 7: ‘Gratitude’, he writes the following:
“The value of gratitude does not consist solely in getting you more blessings in the future. Without gratitude you cannot long keep from dissatisfied thought regarding things as they are.
The moment you permit your mind to dwell with dissatisfaction upon things as they are, you begin to lose ground. You fix attention upon the common, the ordinary, the poor and the squalid and mean; and your mind takes the form of these things. Then you will transmit these forms or mental images to the Formless, and the common, the poor, the squalid, and mean will come to you.
To permit your mind to dwell upon the inferior is to become inferior and to surround yourself with inferior things.
On the other hand, to fix your attention on the best is to surround yourself with the best, and to become the best.
The Creative Power within us makes us into the image of that to which we give our attention.
We are Thinking Substance, and Thinking Substance always takes the form of that which it thinks about.
The grateful mind is constantly fixed upon the best; therefore, it tends to become the best; it takes the form or character of the best, and will receive the best. […]
It is necessary, then, to cultivate the habit of being grateful for everything good thing that comes to you; and to give thanks continuously. […] This will bring you into harmonious relations with the good in everything, and the good in everything will move towards you.”
I invite you to read this excerpt over and over again. How does this land with you? What thoughts pop into your head when you read this?
We all want to be happy. But I would also like to feel a deep sense of joy, which in my experience is longer-lasting than happiness.
Gratitude feeds joy.
What are you grateful for? What do you feed yourself with?