Gram’s wisdom 47.

Are you ready for more joy and happiness in your life? Gram had told me you won’t find happiness in stuff. That kind of happiness is short-lived because it needs constant stimulus. Instead, you need to practice daily gratitude for long-lasting happiness and contentment. I saw the truth of this as a teenager. My Gram always appeared happy with herself, and where she was in her life.

So, with Gram’s words ringing in my ears and heart, I committed to myself to write down and verbally express what makes me grateful and happy in my life. 

Consider a gratitude practice.

Gratitude sounds delightful, and you should practice it every day. Consider what happens to your brain if you don't practice gratitude and other positive emotions. Your brain is designed to give you what you think about most. In this case, if you think that your life is lacking and nothing ever goes your way, then your brain gets a mistaken idea. Your brain begins looking for more ways to decrease the joy in your life.

By turning that around, when you practice gratitude, your brain believes you want more gratitude combined with happiness and joy. It then works 24/7 looking for ways that you can show gratitude to others as it understands what you give out, will come back to you.

Now, let’s look at some fundamental ways that gratitude can make you happy today and into your senior years.

Believe in your worth.

You have several emotions that can be felt on any given day. You may have a day when you feel drained, and nothing goes your way. It leaves you floundering with your self-worth and self-esteem. This, in turn, diminishes the amount of daily happiness you feel as you struggle to believe you are worthwhile.

When this happens, it leaves you feeling like you don’t deserve what you have in life. Practicing daily gratitude for what you do well and what you currently have in life will improve your self-worth. You will start to stand a little taller and speak with more confidence. You already have enough knowledge in your life, and daily gratitude will make you grateful and start you on the path to helping others.

Remember the people you feel grateful for.

Going through traumatic experiences in life can severely reduce the amount of happiness you feel daily. Gratitude will help you regain that happiness. Emotional trauma can be caused by one person or even an entire family. When this happens, you need to remember the people you feel grateful for, like the person who stands up for you, or that friend who always listens.

Focus on the people who did not cause you injury in your life and list why you are grateful for them. Gratitude and suffering are an unusual pair; but, people who have suffered a terrible accident or illness often find gratitude helps. They increase their happiness by focusing on gratitude for what they have, what they have now, and the lessons that they have learned from their trauma.

Gratitude is like water.

Gratitude is like water. We need water to dilute liquids we find hard to drink. We need water to promote growth. We need water to soften our skin and hydrate us. Gratitude dilutes our harsh emotions, such as anger, frustration, and stress. When those negative emotions become diluted, it provides room for positive emotions such as joy and happiness to grow.

Gratitude not only helps to grow happiness but also takes existing happiness and boosts it. Think of happiness as an ice cream sundae. It tastes great and makes you feel good. But what happens when you add one or two cherries to the top of that ice cream? The flavor is now boosted to the point that your taste buds are screaming with joy.

So, gratitude and happiness go hand in hand. You experience an event such as your niece's 1st birthday party. Without gratitude, you are happy and exchange pleasant words with your sibling. With gratitude and happiness, you double down. Your pleasure now lights up the room, and people want to spend more time with you. They want to absorb the joy and happiness you bring wherever you go.

Compassion and service.

Are you a caring and sharing sort of person? If you are, happiness is part of your life because you serve others. When your gratitude bank is low, you may not be looking out for the best interests of others. It becomes harder to volunteer when help is needed.

Focus on building up your gratitude. Selflessness, when you spread your love and joy to others, can help you receive a boost in happiness. To stand by not serving others will decrease your happiness, and we know that it is not what you want for yourself. As you help others with problems, you will feel happier. In your heart, you will know that you are part of the solution to life's problems.

There are many things seniors can be grateful for.

As you age, you may find it difficult to discover things to be grateful for. Could there be a chance your family or career didn’t turn out as you had pictured it? There is also the possibility that your health will not let you do many activities that you once had done. This is where gratitude can be beneficial for you. Here are 8 things you can appreciate as you age.

1. This is an amazing opportunity as you are already retired or soon to be. Many seniors lament the feeling that without a job they are now useless. Others sit at home and complain that they have nothing to do. If you didn't plan for activities after retirement, get started now. Working and looking after children can be time-consuming. As a senior, you can say, "my time is my own.” Make a list of things you are grateful for that you can do but couldn't do in your middle age. This could include travel, volunteering, or even going back to school.

2. Count the friendships you have had over the years. Some have come and gone for different reasons. You may have even ended a few because you realized it was an unhealthy relationship. Now be grateful for those long-lasting relationships you formed and take the time to make the bond stronger. Be there for each other as you age and express your gratitude for each friend verbally and with written notes. Make time to meet for lunch or maybe coffee occasionally.

3. As we go through school and 40-odd years of work, we may lose a sense of who we are as people. The pace of life was hectic. Now that you are older, you can reflect on your overall makeup, and if you see a need to improve areas of your attitude or mindset, you can do that. Be thankful for the opportunity to fine-tune who you are. Next, find ways to show your gratitude and wisdom to younger people who may be struggling in different areas.

4. Hitting senior years means that you will now get small rewards. There may have been times in your life when you wished you had a discount at the drugstore or for something such as travel. Yes, the senior's discounts are not huge, but something is better than nothing. Feel gratitude for having made it this far when so many do not and being around to get that freebie just because you have silver hair.

5. This is a golden opportunity to spend more time with your loved ones, including children and grandchildren. While they love seeing you, they are also grateful that you are there to lend an ear or even do something special for them. Social media shows us several videos of elderly parents doing special things for their children. One video shows a father driving to his daughter's house and spreading salt, so she doesn't slip on her way to the car. Feel the gratitude that you are here and able to treat your children with love and respect. You may have had a career that cut down on the amount of time you could spend with your children. Now is your time to shine.

6. As you move along in your senior years, you now have time to spend going through your positive memories. One special activity you can do is build a collage or scrapbook of old photographs. Take each special photograph and consider why you were grateful for that moment. Flesh this scrapbook out by writing down the details such as names, dates, and places. Once you have built your collage, have a special dinner with your loved ones and share what you have done. They will be grateful for your love, and in time it will be a keepsake for them.

7. You now have the time to pursue not just one hobby but many. Working on hobbies will keep you mentally sharp. This is also a chance to be grateful for the grandchildren, and you can even share your hobby. For example, woodworking is an amazing hobby; any grandchild would love to do it with you. A hobby shared across a table is one of the best ways to talk with a grandchild.

8. While technology can sometimes be overwhelming, it is something you can be grateful for as a senior. Think back to when parents had to write a letter to one of their children who had moved to another country. You can connect instantly with your children no matter where they are. You can also be grateful for the amazing advancements in medicine and overall self-care. You have specialized vitamins for seniors to keep you healthy, whereas your grandparents did not. Think about how technology is helping you and be grateful for it.

My final thoughts.

Gratitude has played an immense part in my life. It was my Gram who shared with me that gratitude is a feeling of the heart and mind. I have seen and felt throughout my life that happiness and contentment are a direct result of the gratitude in your heart.

For further information, read these posts.

Six Benefits Of Practicing Gratitude For Seniors.

3 Awesome Benefits From Daily Gratitude.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. Pass it on to someone you know who would find it beneficial.