Give thanks to shift your perspective and succeed in life. There is so much loss and hardship in the world, and there are so many people who struggle to have a heart filled with any sense of joy today. Indeed, developing gratitude can help through the hard times.

At the same time, there is the question of whether or not focusing so much on the positive, finding the positive, and always looking for the glass to be full somehow shifts our perception of reality. Does it make us forget to really reflect on what is happening in our lives or in the world?

Shift your perspective: In everything, give thanks

Indeed, we can shift our perspective by allowing ourselves to sit in our “right now.” Being in the present moment enables us to fully recognize and acknowledge the unfiltered reality of our current situations and still find that piece of gratitude within where we are sitting. It allows us to find that glimmer of gratitude, even in the midst of chaos. 

Giving thanks doesn’t mean that we don’t feel sadness or pain. It means that even in the depths of that pain or despair, we still allow ourselves to see the good. There is duality, and both joy and pain can coexist. We are each healing in some way. 

Practice gratitude to channel the power of your words

Shifting your perspective can be so powerful and can be as simple as choosing different words to use. If you are going through a hard time, if you are grieving a loved one whom you lost, and the idea of “I’m grateful for” is too hard to reach, opt instead for “I have…” It isn’t that you are not grateful, but gratitude is about the thoughts and words you use to communicate with yourself and others. Share your story with others; you never know how your experience can help others get through hard times as well.

In everything, give thanks by considering the following aspects:

• Sometimes you don’t realize the power of your words or the impact of your presence on someone else.
• We don’t know where we may meet and impact people.
• If you shift your perspective, you shift the way you move forward.
• Shift your mindset to focus on what is working well and not so much on what is not working well.