“So for tonight we pray for,
what we know can be
and on this day we hope for,
what we still can’t see.
It’s up to us to be the change
and even though this world needs so much more,
there’s so much to be thankful for.”
Josh Groban – Thankful

The first time that I wrote about gratitude was already in 2014 when Metro-magazine published my column “gratitude opens doors.” Then I only scratched the surface and wrote about something I didn’t master. Then gratitude was for me more a habit and thing that I express only when I get something from another.

Now 4 years later I find myself exploring gratitude again. I’ve started to practice gratitude. No more I’ll say thank you only when I receive something but give thanks for everything that I’ve got. Thank you for the life, body, senses, clean water, nature, sun. Thank you for the friends, love, cats, home, dreams. The more I practice gratitude the more I’ll find things to be grateful for.

Gratitude is easy to lose and especially for us Finns our tongue is so eager to judge and complain even though we have so many things to be grateful for. I don’t blame us since it’s easier to notice what we don’t have rather than focus on what we have. Luckily gratitude can be learned and gradually start to shift attitude towards positivity.

Almost for a week now I’ve been practising conciously gratitude and I can say that wonders have started to happen in my life. Most it has affected to the way how I feel: when I’m feeling grateful I’m happy and I trust on life. Like India’s Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar wisely said: ”Gratitude is like a magic wand. When you are grateful, everything else flows to you.”

Gratitude is free but effective medicine to all possible conditions. If you want a quick transformation to your life and want to see miracle happen then adopt the attitude of gratitude and give thanks for everything in your life. I can promise that you’ll be surprised!

With love, Anu-Maarit