With all the ‘attitude of gratitude’ narratives, I thought it might be helpful to identify when we’re not being as grateful as we think we are.
Gratitude for the self is reflected in how you value who you are without a need to diminish the value of others.
Sometimes, we convince ourselves that we need to take care of ourselves at the expense of the rights that others have over us, while not realising that this mindset is one of a victim who feels oppressed.
Defensiveness and imbalance in how we deal with life is therefore a common outcome when we lack gratitude for who we are.
Gratitude is not reflected in putting yourself first.
Again, that’s a victim mindset.
Gratitude for the self is reflected in how you feel about yourself when others are grappling with their self-worth while blaming you for it.
As mentioned before, gratitude is what we do with what we appreciate, that’s why the truth of your gratitude for yourself is reflected in how you exercise your abilities to create value in your life and the lives of those around you, despite not being acknowledged or appreciated for it.
So, if you connected with any of the 9 points in the above post, you have some introspection due.
You cannot give what you don’t have.
If you’re lacking in gratitude for yourself, you’re likely teaching your kids and others how to be selfish, or how to be martyrs, but it’s unlikely that you’re teaching them how to be grateful for who they are.
It always starts with you.
#gratitudeattitude #gratitude #growthmindset #ownyourlife #theegosystem #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #lifecoaching #zaidismail #parenting #generationaltrauma #relationshipgoals
Tag: gratitudeattitude
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Are you sure you have an attitude of gratitude?
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Gratitude is more than an attitude
An attitude of gratitude is not gratitude, because gratitude is not about attitude. It’s about a way of being.
Too often we confuse appreciation with gratitude.
Appreciation is what we express for favours or gifts, or the ease that we experience in our lives or with others.
We appreciate the absence of problems, the presence of happiness, or the good fortune of wealth, etc.
We appreciate such things because we know how much more difficult or challenging life would be without it.
Gratitude, I believe, goes beyond such acknowledgements of blessings.
Gratitude is reflected in how we nurture, protect, maintain, or leverage what makes such blessings possible.
For example, if we have the ability to create good, but we restrain ourselves because it’s not our job or our responsibility, then we’re not grateful for that ability.
That ability is merely a tool that we use in a transactional way.
Like having a car that we appreciate because it enables ease of movement, but we don’t take care of it because the thrill of driving recklessly is more important than the blessing of having a car.
By its very nature, gratitude increases the benefits and blessings of what we have and are capable of, whereas mere appreciation for it only maintains the status quo.
It may seem like a play on words, or a philosophical debate, but the moment we connect with gratitude for who we are, rather than just appreciating what we are or what we have, we’ll find opportunity to be of benefit in every sphere of our lives, rather than waiting to feel appreciated before we create the value that we’re capable of creating.
It always starts with you.
Own Your Life.
#gratitude #gratitudeattitude #appreciation #selfworth #selfawareness #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #lifecoaching #zaidismail #ownyourlife #theegosystem
