Growing up my mom’s favorite expression was – “you should not look a gift horse in the mouth”. It happened anytime we complained about anything. To me this never made sense. No one ever offered me a horse, nor would I want one as a gift. To be honest, we just chalked it up as one of those confusing comments made by adults.
Although, I began to understand it when I moved away to college. While in the dorms I noticed that the students who complained the loudest were those who sacrificed the least to be there. My roommate bitched and moaned about everything. Even though everything was handed to him by his parents. His grandparents even bought him a new car and a $300 monthly allowance (and that was in 1980). I’m sure I probably parroted the same expression to him at some point, considering I paid my own way through college.
Being thankful for gift horses
What my mom was trying to say was – stop complaining and be grateful for all the things you have in life even if its not as nice as your friends.
It’s just circumstantial evidence but the happiest people I know seem to have the ability to be grateful and appreciative regardless of their situation. Living a better life is easier if we find contentment. One way to start is to find appreciation and express gratitude for our health, relationships, work, family and living situation.
Basically, building the ability for gratitude is the best way to destroy negativity in our life.
The science behind gratitude and appreciation
In the article The Neuroscience of Gratitude & Its Effects on the Brain, the key findings were
- The neuroscience of gratitude shows it activates brain regions associated with reward, enhancing feelings of contentment & emotional well-being.
- Regular practice of gratitude can lead to long-term positive changes in the brain, supporting mental health & resilience.
- Simple exercises like keeping a gratitude journal can improve mood, increase empathy & strengthen social bonds.
Here’s a few more direct quotes: “From a neuroscientific perspective, gratitude activates key regions of the brain such as the prefrontal cortex, the anterior cingulate cortex, the ventral striatum (a key brain region involved in processing rewards), and the insula (a region of the brain involved in emotional awareness; Fox et al., 2015).
Understanding the neuroscience of gratitude and how these areas of the brain regulate emotion, decision-making, and reward processing is an ongoing process. The neuroscience of gratitude shows that it can impact relationships, resilience, and mental and physical health (Fox et al., 2015).
Essentially, when we experience gratitude, it changes physiological aspects of the brain that reside at the neurotransmitter level (Fox et al., 2015). These changes create feelings of happiness and contentment.”
That is the easy part, now the hard part – How…?
I could rattle on by myself, but I found a great article called:
The Ultimate Guide to Gratitude (That Actually Works)
Here’s the basic summary:
- Notice and appreciate everyday positive moments
- Acknowledge the people and circumstances that contribute to your well-being
- Savor experiences instead of rushing past them
- Find meaning in both big achievements and small wins.
I would go on but the article has a bunch more useful tips and idea if your interested.
In Conclusion: So say it with me “I appreciate Ideas For Better Living and need to tell all my friends about this site”……