More Than Just Thankful: The Science and Soul of Gratitude
A Daily Practice That Changes Everything
Most of us have heard how helpful gratitude is in aiding us to feel better. Yet how many of us actually take action and practice it on a regular, daily basis? Knowledge without application is pretty much useless. Gratitude, when lived, can become one of the most powerful tools for healing, happiness, and fulfillment.
The Science of Vibration and Gratitude
Science has proven that everything on earth vibrates—including each of us. The higher the frequency we vibrate at, the lighter and happier we feel. States such as love, joy, and bliss resonate at the highest frequencies. Gratitude is one of the fastest ways to raise our vibration, instantly lifting our emotional state. That’s why, when you pause to truly feel grateful, you notice yourself shift—your body softens, your heart expands, and the weight of worry feels much lighter.
Living in a Constant State of Gratitude
For me, I’ve been practicing this for so long that it has become a habit. Gratitude has become more than an occasional practice—it is my natural state of mind. Each morning when I go out for my walk, I start by stepping outside and look up at the sky. I see stars, the moon, sometimes clouds, and sometimes the sunrise. Each one of those, even the rain, is beautiful. As I’m looking up, I stretch my arms wide and say “thank you” out loud. This simple ritual sets the tone for my day and aligns me with joy before I’ve had my first cup of coffee. Friends often ask me what it’s like to live in a state of continual gratitude. For some, it sounds “too good to be true” or even unrealistic, as though I’m living like Pollyanna. But gratitude is not about ignoring pain or pretending everything is perfect. It’s about choosing to see the beauty and meaning in life, even when it’s difficult.
The Pollyanna Analogy—And Why It Matters
Pollyanna, the beloved 1913 novel by Eleanor H. Porter (later adapted into the award-winning 1960 film starring Hayley Mills), tells the story of a girl who chooses to focus on the good despite hardships. Critics often dismiss her character as naïve, saying it’s easy to stay upbeat when life is going well. But the deeper truth is revealed when Pollyanna suffers a devastating accident that leaves her paralyzed. Even in her pain, she finds gratitude and beauty. That resilience is the true power of gratitude—it allows us to rise above suffering and shift into hope.
Cultivating Gratitude as a Habit
I haven’t always lived this way. It took years of conscious practice to make gratitude a natural habit. As a licensed Mental Health Therapist for over 34 years, I’ve guided countless clients struggling with depression and anxiety. Again and again, through the process of showing them how to cultivate gratitude, I’ve witnessed how it transforms their outlook and lifts their quality of life. What begins as a small daily practice often grows into a state of mind that feels natural, effortless, and life-giving. They all remark that they never want to go back to their old way of perceiving the world.
A Gratitude Practice to Try
One of my favorite methods is the Gratitude Journal Exercise, which I often introduce to clients. Here’s how you can begin:
- Choose Your Journal: Pick a notebook that feels special to you. It can be as simple as a spiral student notebook, but let the color of the cover reflect something meaningful about gratitude.
- Create Space: Set aside 30 minutes to be in a private space where you will be undisturbed. IMPORTANT: Turn off your phone. Best yet, turn it off and leave it outside the door.
- List Freely: Begin by listing everything you are grateful for. Don’t worry about full sentences—just list. It doesn’t have to be in any particular order, so just let whatever comes up for gratitude be something you immediately write down. When you feel you’ve exhausted your list, ask, “What could I be grateful for if I wanted to be?” Many people find they add to their list after they have asked themselves this question, as it opens new pathways of awareness.
- Reflect: Look over your list. Notice how your heart and mind respond. Most people are astonished at how much they have to be grateful for—and how immediately their mood lifts.
- Daily Three: Starting the next day, write down three new things you’re grateful for each evening. These can be simple—a butterfly, a kind smile, the warmth of sunlight. This daily practice trains your mind to look for moments of gratitude throughout the day.
Deepening the Practice
Here’s how you can really transform. (You might choose to do this on a different day, as it requires more time.)
If you want to deepen the impact of the gratitude exercise, sit with your journal and spend 10–20 minutes focusing on one item from your list. Close your eyes, breathe deeply, and envision all the ways that item enriches your life. Feel it. See it. Fully experience the gratitude in your heart and say “thank you” out loud. Hold that emotion for ten full seconds. Then move on to another item.
I’ll never forget when I chose water from my list. As I meditated on it, all its magical gifts began flooding my awareness: the soothing comfort of a warm bath, the blue of the ocean, the joy of gliding through a swimming pool in the summer sun, the nourishing rain feeding the earth, the sound of rainfall calming my spirit… the examples kept coming. By the time I finished, tears filled my eyes as I whispered again and again, “Thank you, water, thank you.”
Gratitude as a Way of Life
Gratitude has become the bookends of my day—from the moment I open my eyes to the last thought before sleep. It is a cultivated state of mind that I would never trade for anything. And here’s the truth: you have access to this same state, right now, at every moment. Gratitude doesn’t eliminate life’s challenges, but it transforms how you experience them. It anchors you in joy, lightens your spirit, raises your frequency, and can open the doorway to lasting fulfillment.
A state of happiness that is free, holistic, has no negative side effects, and is instantly available to you 24/7. You can’t get much better than that!
“A state of happiness that is free, holistic, has no negative side effects, and is instantly available to you 24/7. You can’t get much better than that!” – Virginia Oman
Virginia Oman LCMHC is a Licensed Mental HEALTH Therapist and Mindset Coach. If you have an interest in increasing the level of fulfillment in your life, she welcomes you to contact her for a free consultation. She works virtually with people from all over the world.
- Connect with Virginia Oman
- More articles from our VIP Executive Contributor, Virginia Oman