Practicing Gratitude Can Change Your Life!

Thanksgiving is more than a day for family, food and football!  Of course, that’s tradition for many!  But before the leftovers are eaten, it is easy to forget about the “THANKS” in Thanksgiving.  To me, that is the transformative part of the celebration not because of an expanding waistline but for how the act of giving thanks can change perspective! Being mindful of blessings, even the smallest of the small, can be what carries us through both the challenging times and the good!

It has for me!  I practice gratitude by thanking God every night for three to five things for which I am grateful.  Then, in the morning, I envision several things ahead in my day for which I am thankful!  This twice-daily ritual has helped me through life-changing times including my divorce and later the loss of my career. It is so important in me, I put it in a YouTube video recently.

One person who believes in the power of gratitude and teaches its healing properties is Dr. Ghia Edwards.  She says, “Gratefulness makes a way for blessings to FLOW in!”  On her Facebook page she posted this quote, “Gratitude takes us out of circumstances and into God’s amazing power!”  

Dr. Ghia is a Behaviorist who emphasizes bringing peace and focus to those dealing with life’s struggles including grief, divorce, heartache and anger management among others with expressive art therapeutic techniques.  She is one of those positive people who make you feel better just by being around her!  I asked her to share her thoughts.  Here is some of our discussion: 

1.  What is gratitude?   

Gratitude is that intangible feeling we get when we realize how blessed and fortunate, we are in our individual lives. 

2. Can gratitude change your life?

Gratitude can change our lives in huge magnificent ways. By focusing on the positives in front of us, we are prone to be more open for more positive happenings as small or large as they maybe. These are the true serendipitous moments of our lives, that help us push through the tough times we sometimes face.

3.  How should be express or show gratitude?

This is a fabulous question!   It’s like our fingerprints…How we express or show gratitude is as individual as our fingerprints. BUT, one thing is universal. Gratitude begets gratitude. WHAT we plant we get back!

4.  What if life is so challenging right now that it’s hard to find something to be grateful for?

Tough times happen, it is inevitable. But how we LOOK at the tough times can make or break us! We magnify what we focus on, so in those hard times we must find something to be grateful for. This is the key, to focus our energy on the good rather than the hard.

One of the things I will tell God I am thankful for tonight is the wisdom of Dr Ghia Edwards!  Learnmore about Dr Ghia http://www.asaexpressive.com/  You can find her on Facebook and as a contributor to “San Antonio Living” on WOAI-TV.

~ Asa ~ ( /’ay-sah/ ) is a Hebrew name, which means “doctor,” or “healer”.  Dr. Ghia is both. Sheis a professor of Psychology, receiving her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology December 2010, in Southern California, and her Masters of Arts Counseling and Psychology in 2005. Dr. Ghia believes in MINDFULNESS techniques and teaches the art of staying in the here and now. Dr. Ghia also believes in long term healing that comes from really delving into your healing process in practical ways (Yoga, EFT, walking, Jogging, cleansing breathing, forgiveness of others as well as ourselves for real or perceived wrongs), all of which are being done with the HEART of healing AND gratitude.

Leslie Bohl

Leslie Bohl is the owner of Leslie Bohl Media. She provides many services including media coaching, video storytelling, writing, emceeing and voice over work. Leslie is channeling her extensive experience of 25 Plus years as a television news anchor, reporter and lifestyle show host into helping business professionals feel and look their best in front of a camera. You will find her blog “Living Your Best Life with Leslie” on www.LeslieBohl.net