The Power of Gratitude — Appreciate the Little Things

It’s no secret that gratitude is a known antidote to suffering.

And if you revolve your life around it, not only you’ll feel great, but so will the others whose lives you touch on a daily basis.

There is a slight nuance.

To receive truly amazing benefits of gratitude it has to be authentic and genuine. It’s gotta go from your heart.
You can’t fake being grateful.

Not only other people can easily sense it, but it won’t do you any good either.

It won’t improve how you feel.

You are being disingenuous. That might also put you on people’s radar and they are gonna try to avoid you for a good reason.

Nobody likes fake.

Even if you have never been grateful for anything in your life, it’s never too late to start your journey.

There’s gotta be at least one of two things out there that you can truly appreciate.

And for a lot of people, it can be your husband or wife that you appreciate the most.

GREAT. Start there.

This is one of the things that we don’t do as often as we should. We always think that our loved ones know that we love them and appreciate them.

But for them, it makes all the difference in the world when you REMIND them of that. OFTEN.

Wouldn’t you yourself like that?

And do it not on holidays, or any other “special” days. Just do it on a regular day.  Any day. Today.

Now.

The less special and more regular the day is, the more powerful and profound effect your words will have.

Because they’ll know you don’t just say it because they have a birthday, and you kinda have to. But because you truly love, adore and appreciate them.

If it’s your husband, express your gratitude — give him a really nice and tight hug and tell him what he means to you.

The Little Things are Not So Little

Often times it can mean the world to him or her, even if you think there is nothing special about that.

For instance, if he takes care of garbage every day for you, and you, yourself hate doing this.
You really should appreciate this.

Often times we think, ahh, it’s not a big deal for him or her, so let him do it.
Instead of being grateful, you EXPECT him to do it.

But guess what, he can say one day and maybe he should to “wake” you up a bit, “Aaah the heck with it. Why am I the only one doing this? Democracy, honey. Now is your turn…”

So, you can see that you shouldn’t take this for granted. It’s big! Why? Because he is saving you from doing something that you literally hate doing.

You appreciate that deeply, even though you don’t express that openly.

But you know you do.

Trade Your Expectations for Appreciation and It Will Change Your World

Appreciation alone is not good enough.

For the real magic to happen, you gotta tell him.

Out loud.

And don’t diminish his significance and role he is playing in making you feel better.

Be a genuine human being, and not a manipulative one( doing a nice thing, so he would do something in return for you — that’s a recipe for disaster —a breakup)
Do you appreciate what he did?

Say like it is.
Something like…

   Honey, let me tell you something, you take out the garbage every single night. Don’t think I don’t notice that. You do know I appreciate this so much.
   You have no idea, what this means to me. Thank you very much, thank you! And I mean it. Even if for you, throwing a few bags out is no biggie.
   It is a huge deal for me, and that is why I wanted to say thank you for thinking of me, being so considerate, and making my life better. That truly means the world to me. I greatly appreciate you.

And KISSES and HUGs, and whatnot will follow.

Just this barely 2-minute conversation might change everything in your relationship. If you actually meant what you said, he WILL KNOW.
If such words coming from the right place, it will (re)ignite his heart. It will make him feel more significant.

You just practically told him that he made a very important contribution to your level of happiness. This is incredible. And just knowing that will make his life more meaningful and delightful.

And, remember, throwing out the garbage, for him, was not a big deal at all. Easy-peasy.

But here’s the best part. Compound effect of kindness and gratitude.
Now, IT IS a big deal for him.

WHY?

Because it’s not about throwing out stupid garbage anymore. That’s silly.

Now it’s associated with that little action that he can take every day that that can make you a bit happier.

And for your to be happy, is ultimately what he wants because of what you mean to him.

So, what do you mean to him?

Everything…The world!

The power of genuine gratitude is so strong.

Now he will go an extra mile to make sure from that point on, he is the one throwing the garbage out.

If he sees you attempting or reaching for the garbage bag or something, he will stop you with a smile, and say: “Hey, honey. Let me get that. I got you, sweetie. Sit back and relax, while I’ll take care of that. That’s no biggie.”

Just imagine if you never had to do something you hate so much. How much would your life improve? And that is just an example of one little thing to be grateful for.

And that communicates genuine appreciation, respect, and love to your loved one. Therefore, making the other person feel more significant.

Little things make a big difference.

Practice it daily and always be on a look out for new things you can appreciate.

The more grateful you are, and the more you appreciate what life has given to you, the happier you’ll be. And so will the people you touch on a daily basis. It’s a win win for you. Enjoy it!