Guest Post

Gratitude One Word, Many Wonders- Guest Post by Akanksha Singh!

The freezing cold waves, the non-existent Sun, the non-availability of vegetarian food and the gloomy 4:00 pm darkness was more than enough to make me miserable after my first day at office in Manchester.  

When I half-heartedly entered into my not so favourite fast-food chain, Subway, I only wanted to just stuff myself with whatever veggies I could find and run back to my hotel room. I paid the cash and when was just focused on grabbing my sub from the hands of the person on the other side of the counter, “Thank you love, enjoy your sub” said the person with a smile and in a royal English accent.  

For a second, I was still but rather in a happy way. That one smile and a thank you actually made me sit at the table in the café and eat my sub. That unexpected gratitude from a total stranger in a foreign country made me feel a little at home.  

I guess I am somehow have been able to convey what I am trying to say here, A good gesture from your side, an honest smile and a little gratitude you never know can make even a stranger’s day. In-fact I felt welcomed and warmth by almost every stranger I met during my one year stay in United Kingdom. 

 People smiling whenever our eyes met, asking me if I needed help whenever I was with heavy luggage, are a few expressions of gratitude that made my stay memorable and cheerful.  

Well don’t you think being a little more compassionate and a little more grateful to our surroundings and people would make a better world for all of us. Today we are so busy in our own world that we have almost forgotten to acknowledge the people around us. 

 Do you remember how many days it has been that you have smiled to your neighbour or said thanks to a courier guy or appreciated the storekeeper of the grocery store who just showed you the item you have been looking all around? If you haven’t, try it and see how it immediately makes up your and the other person’s day. 

Now when we are surrounded by so much stress, that mental health is the biggest of all the health concerns today. How can we not help our future generations by teaching them to practice gratitude? 

 Since I became a mother my perspective towards looking at things is almost always is futuristic and that is why I am more determined that having gratitude is going to be the most important thing that I will be teaching my child.  

Thus, in all my experience of life here are a few practical actions what I think can be taken to be more grateful and merrier- 

Appreciate unhesitatingly  

It is easy to be a critic than being appreciative. Well can’t blame anyone because it is deeply rooted in human nature. Although it certainly doesn’t take much effort if you ever wish to try.  

Also it usually happens that if you like any efforts made by someone or a certain aspect of someone, though you talk about it to others or even you love that aspect so much that you inculcate the same in your lifestyle; You miss out telling the same person about how much you liked it.

Do appreciate the aspect about the person wholeheartedly to him/her and see how happy this move of yours will make both of you. Who doesn’t love to be appreciated and you see what the intellects say, “you reap what you sow”? Wouldn’t it sound amazing to hear about your merits too? I wish I could have learned this before; I would have made a lot of friends surely.  

Express your mind 

When you care about someone let them know. If something hurts you let it out, as simple as that. I do not suggest speaking without thinking but choosing your words wisely to express your true feelings.  

“I should have told her this”, “Why didn’t I tell her before”, “only if I had the courage to tell him”, haven’t we all pondered upon this thought ever for once?  

Isn’t it better that from now on we keep doing things at that same instant when it is required and do not repent it later? And you know what it is never too late, when it comes to letting it out what troubles you or makes you feel good. Keeping your feelings to yourself isn’t going to help you, but expressing them out would definitely.  

Stay Connected with your well-wishers  

It is very rare to find people who care about you, so if you find one stick to them like, forever. I often scroll through my phonebook and find so many names that I used to love talking to or hanged out with and had great memories of them, but with time have lost touch with them. I am sure that also happens with you too.  

No matter how much we criticize technology for keeping us away from the real world; it actually lessens our efforts also in some way or the other.  

Well if you try, it just wouldn’t take much effort to pick up your phone and once in a blue moon call the person to check upon, also if possible, plan to catch-up on a coffee or tea date. You know it is always good to be surrounded with friends and family for a healthy lifestyle. I have recently started doing this and it has helped me to gradually recover from the guilt of leaving my job. 

Let go  

 Let go off that negativity strictly from your life. Be it a toxic human of a troubled past/present or a saddening memory of any horrible experience, keeping them with you will only pull you back and will affect your mental and physical health. I very much understand that it’s not easy to forget things so easily but all we can do as a human is try our best.  

Also, I strongly believe that the company you keep is what makes you or breaks you. A friend who can’t appreciate you is better than a friend who constantly demoralizes you. Your tribe is where your vibe is. So, if your vibe doesn’t match with another person, get rid of them.  

Letting go of above things will keep you mind clear for better adventures in life.  

I had done a thorough research on how to practice gratitude, there are many ways described all over the internet but combining both my experience and the fact that the approach needs to be more practical, these are the only four ways which I can put my money on. 

So share and spread love and warmth for life is too short to not be merry. 

Here is another one of my article on the same lines where I talk about a mother’s dilemma of deciding on the right values for her son considering his self-worth. Check it out here  if that sounds worth a read. 

About the Author of this Guest post

This post has been written by my dear friend Akanksha singh

Akanksha Singh is a Software Engineer by profession and currently a stay at home mom with her 2 year old baby boy. She reinvented her love for reading and writing post motherhood and loves to express her mind often on her blog at https://mominprocess.co.in . You can also checkout her instagram page at https://instagram.com/mominprocess.”

This post is a part of “How to become a profitable blogger” blog train. hosted by Neha and Surbhi. I am growing my blog and learning to be profitable with

I am growing my blog with Surbhi from

http://www.prettymummasays.com/ and

Neha from

https://bloggingmadeeasier.com/ and https://www.sharingourexperiences.com/


With this post, I am starting “Guest post series” on my blog. if you are interested in writing for my blog, please drop a mail at ritu.prapanna@gmail.com

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