5 Powerful Ways Being Grateful Can Change Your Life

​Can't Be Happy Without It

If happiness is the goal, gratefulness is the key. Like the Married With Children song says, you can't have one without the other.

Being grateful and thankful can help you get through the funk of the tough season and process what the aspects that feel like they're trying you in every step, and it helps you endure through it all. I've had to realize that once I get content in a situation that I clearly can't fix, there's so much more peace about it. And it's not about settling and just going with anything that comes to you. But when it comes to those situations that you once really wanted but eventually got comfortable with, it's easy to get complacent and not realize you're taking it for granted and no longer grateful for it. When you get into a mental space of gratitude in any situation, nothing will be able to steal your happiness and joy.

Don't stop get it, get it.

People Will Want To Be Around You More

So, we've all heard the saying, "Misery loves company." But what about those people who don't want to be miserable? We like company too, y'all. When one is miserable, and the other is trying to be happy, the equilibrium is all thrown off.

Have you ever had somebody call you and you literally get exhausted just thinking about what type of conversation y'all are about to have? I've been that person calling. *cringes* I used to think that venting about a situation wasn't me complaining about it; and sometimes it's not. But when it came to me and this mouth I have, I would confidently step over the venting right into complaining and even gossiping under the thought that, "It's not healthy to keep it in… I need to get this out."

But when I found myself "getting it out" with this person and that person and anybody who would listen, they eventually made it clear they were over me talking about it. Something clicked. I was taking my subconscious level of ungratefulness to another level. I was complaining about things that I have literally cried asking God for, just because it wasn't the way I wanted it to be in that moment.

Yes, it's good to get things out, but the attitude and motive done behind it can mess with your mood and even friendships/relationships.

You'll Enjoy Life

Someone once suggested to me to write down everything I was grateful for before I went to bed, just ten little things. It's helpful if all ten things were something that happened that day, but if not, as long as you have ten, that's all that matters.

Once I got past writing the same things down every day that I once took for granted (family, job, friends, relationship with God), I started to reflect and realize that each of these things are what make my life so full right now. It's not bad to strive for more, but taking a second to appreciate what you have has the potential to help you enjoy it.

This feels so much better than wishing things were different or wishing you could change something about someone or a situation. Plus, it doesn't take nearly as much energy to be grateful for even the seemingly small things as it does to find something to complain about or justify why you should be able to complain about something negative.

Gratitude is a major factor in truly enjoying your life.

Small Things Won't Irritate You

Sometimes we can get so fed up with a situation that even the smallest thing can make us think, "See that's why…" followed by "I can't stand them" or "I hate this job" and so on and so forth.

Have you ever noticed that when you don't like someone, anything they do will irritate you? They can eat a cracker, and you'll be like, "Ugh, look at how she's eating that cracker."

I remember being in a situation where I had to constantly be around someone who irritated my soul, my soul you guys. But at the same time, this person came along with a situation that I had to be grateful for. Like, how do you handle that?

It was so tough but I'm telling you once I mentally and intentionally decided to keep being grateful about the situation and everything that came with it, those little things and even the big things didn't irritate my soul nearly as much. Ultimately, this led to me just being in a better mood, which I'm sure contributed to point number two, and helped me to be more pleasant to be around. It's like a domino effect of positivity, which we can all use.

You'll Be More Compassionate

I used to be the queen of throwing pity parties for myself. Where's my crown? I would find any reason to feel sorry for myself. Looking back even now, it's like girl, who told you that was okay?

Jokes aside, when I started looking outside of myself and into what other people are going through (like major problems, not just first world problems), it made me more compassionate and sympathetic toward other people and not so focused on my issues.

Yes, we all have things that we go through, but when you take time to realize that you really don't have it that bad, and others would pay or give their lives to have what you do have, it's a major game changer, and an even bigger life changer.