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Gratitude and attitude are very similar words whose meanings can be closely intertwined especially when you are looking to develop an attitude of gratitude, so it’s important to know the meaning of these words, and how they relate to each other. So, in this article we’re going to address the question are gratitude and attitude the same?
Though they are often used together gratitude and attitude are not the same. Gratitude is feeling or showing appreciation, while attitude is the way we think or feel about someone or something, or what we believe. So, attitude is a state of mind, while gratitude is an emotion.
When looking at gratitude vs attitude it’s clear that both are important to our happiness and overall well-being, but there are some differences in the goals, purpose, and intentions of each.
Gratitude is focused on being thankful for the things in our lives and we can practice it by recognizing and being aware of the positive things around us.
And while gratitude is a feeling, attitude is a philosophy and mindset, or to put it another way, attitude is the way we see things, the way we look at our lives and how we approach situations and circumstances. In fact, our attitude is the way we are and how we walk through life.
With that said, just because attitude and gratitude are not the same thing it doesn’t mean that they are not affected by each other, and practicing gratitude will ultimately have a positive affect on your attitude which is of course a very good thing.
How does gratitude affect your attitude?
The more grateful we are the better our attitude is likely to be. With an attitude of gratitude, we feel more content, satisfied, better about ourselves and the world around us, optimistic and hopeful about the future. We will feel safe and feel confident.
So being grateful for what we have and the people around us, can improve the way we see the world, ourselves, and ultimately our overall attitude to everything in a positive and healthy way.
Why is gratitude the best attitude?
We’ve already covered this a little but let’s go into a little more depth. Gratitude helps us feel better and appreciate the positive things in life while we can feel more appreciative attitude helps us become more positive.
This helps us be more forgiving, open-minded, and tolerant. Gratitude helps us to be more compassionate and understanding. And when we’re more positive, confident, optimistic and feel good about our lives, the world around us, and other people.
We are better able to handle adversity, deal with issues, solve problems and be happier with our lives. It’s a great way to approach life.
With this positive and grateful attitude, we can find joy and happiness in small things that we often miss. We’ll notice the beauty in the world around us. And can be grateful for just about everything.
So, gratitude can improve your attitude by bringing out the best n you and helping to make you a better person, therefore making it one of the best attitudes to have.
So how can we create an attitude of gratitude?
First and foremost, we must be aware of the things around us. We must be conscious of the things that we appreciate and be grateful for.
The first step is to ask yourself the most important attitude question ” what am I grateful for? “. Or even better ” what am I most grateful for? ” And then when you’re able to look at things from a more grateful perspective you will no doubt feel better.
Secondly, we must work on being more positive and optimistic. We must work on the way we think about things and when we do this we can choose to have a positive or negative attitude.
We can choose to see the glass half full or half empty.
So, the second step is to ask yourself the most important attitude question ” what can I do to be more positive? “
Thirdly, we need to be more forgiving, more patient, and more tolerant.
We need to practice gratitude, hope, and compassion. We need to become more accepting of others and more open-minded and understanding.
The third step is to ask yourself ” what can I do to be more forgiving, more patient, and more tolerant? “
Fourthly, we need to focus on the best in others. We need to focus on their strengths and not just their weaknesses. We must see the good in people and focus on their positive traits and not just their negative ones.
The fourth step is to ask yourself ” what can I do to focus on the best in others? “
Fifthly, we need to be more proactive and do more for others. We need to help and serve them. We need to be more generous and kinder, and we need to just do something.
We need to give back, be grateful and help others.
The fifth step is to ask yourself ” what can I do to be more proactive and do more for others? “
Finally, we need to look for the good in every situation and circumstance. We need to find the silver lining in every cloud. And when we do this, we usually see that the sun is shining even on the darkest of days.
The 6th step is to ask yourself ” what can I do to look for the good in every situation or circumstance? “
So, to sum up, we need to work on creating an attitude of gratitude in all aspects of our lives and this will in turn create a more positive attitude for ourselves.
How do you show an attitude of gratitude?
Well, you show gratitude by recognizing the good and positive things in your life. You can do this by being more aware of the things that you appreciate and are grateful for.
You can do this by consciously looking for the positive things in your life and look for the good in other people.
You can do this by…
- focusing on the best in others instead of the worst.
- making a list of all of the things that you are grateful for and the things that you appreciate in your life. And keep this list in a place where you can see it every day.
- practicing being more positive and optimistic, and being more forgiving, patient, and tolerant.
- being more proactive and helping others.
- looking for the good in every situation and circumstance.
Finally, you can practice gratitude by just saying “thank you“.
Saying thank you is a great way to show gratitude for what you have in your life.
Saying thank you is a great way to make someone know that you are grateful for what they have done for you in some way, shape or form.
Saying thank you is a great way to create a culture of gratitude in your life.
By saying thank you to your friends, family, and community you will show them a grateful attitude, and they will be more likely to do something that is also grateful and show gratitude. And then you will feel more grateful as well.
So why not start saying thank you more often. Start showing a culture of gratitude in your life, your friends and family will thank you for it.
Here are just a few examples of how to show gratitude by saying thank you
“Thank you for being such a good friend, thank you for being there when I need you, thank you for lending me money when I was down on my luck, thank you for being there to talk to, thank you for giving me a place to stay when I needed it, thank you for being a great cook, thank you for being there and listening, thank you for the advice, thank you for always helping me, thank you for being honest “.
Can gratitude change your life?
The simple answer is YES. By practicing gratitude and an attitude of gratitude we can change our lives and do things that we may have thought were impossible before. We can do things that were once out of our reach.
Gratitude can help improve your attitude and make you a more positive person. Gratitude can help create a culture of gratefulness and make people around you more grateful. Gratitude can help you improve your relationships and help you make positive changes in your life. Gratitude is a way of practicing positive psychology and has also been shown to have a positive effect on mental health.
We have seen it time and time again. When you feel grateful, you are more likely to be…
- optimistic, open-minded, and tolerant.
- happy and satisfied with your life.
- more confident, positive and feel good about yourself and the world around you.
- more forgiving, patient.
- more compassionate, understanding and loving
- more optimistic, appreciative, and likely to live your life to the fullest and be a better person.
Conclusion
In summary, are gratitude and attitude the same? No they are not, but what’s for sure is, one fantastic way to improve your attitude is to cultivate an attitude of gratitude, which will help you appreciate and be thankful for the things in your life and improve your therefore improve your whole attitude towards it.
For further reading on gratitude practice you may like our related post which lists 16 Fun Gratitude Activities For Adults, including a section on keeping a gratitude journal which is one of the most popular ways of doing a daily gratitude practice.
