To start the New Year, I thought I would share some excerpts from Bahram Akradi’s Perspective page in Experience Life Jan/Feb 2023 Magazine. Bahram Akradi is the founder, chairman and CEO of Life Time.
Gratitude is a healthy state of mind and a healthy way of life. Physically, gratitude affects our blood pressure, kidney function and brain chemistry. Emotionally, people who practice gratitude report higher levels of vitality and optimism, lower levels of stress, depression and anxiety; they tend to feel better about their lives and make meaningful progress toward their goals. Socially, it can help build good relationships.
Gratitude itself is something to be thankful for. The more we practice it, the better we feel, which can start to show up in our actions and relationships. People around us feel uplifted and, consequently, thankful too. This can, in turn, inspire generosity, creating a ripple effect of good energy through the world.
It’s no wonder that gratitude – along with integrity, perseverance, kindness, and forgiveness – is a virtue that helps us thrive. With this New Year, it’s a great time to grow a gratitude practice. Here are a few simple things you can do.
- Focus on your blessings. Acknowledge what’s good in your life.
- Write them down. People who write about what they are grateful for report feeling healthier and more optimistic.
- Be appreciative. Practice saying “thank you” for happy and challenging experiences.
- See the bigger picture. Try to recognize that at least some of what you’re grateful for is outside of and larger than yourself. Look to nature for your interpretation of spirit or higher power.
- Take a gratitude walk. As you walk outdoors, smile, focus on being present, notice the sights and sounds, critters and creatures; revel in the great outdoors. Recite out loud 5 things you are grateful for. For me, walking in nature elicits awe and fills my cup with gratitude.
I am grateful for good health and awe-inspiring mother nature. May you be blessed with good health and happiness.
