Gratitude Starts Now
Are you looking for an easy way to have more gratitude in your everyday life? Would you like something that you can do starting right now that will make you day better than it currently is? Here is one very simple way that you can change your disposition immediately.
Try this for an hour. And then another hour. And finally, one last hour. See if you show any signs of additional gratitude after just 3 short hours.
As you go about your day, try to see the things that you want to see; concentrate on those items that are good and that you want. Do not focus on the things that you don’t want to see; avoid concentrating on bad news, unhappy items, or sad events. We frequently go about our lives with the expectation that bad things will happen. We stay in bad, defensive moods fearing the worst (or at best, feeling a lot of negativity). How often have you expected that bad things will happen during the day? Are you expecting to be disappointed with the activities of your day?
Observe yourself as you day progresses – what are you thinking? Are you thinking positive thoughts or are they negative thoughts? Do you have conversations in your head saying things like, “Ew – I don’t like that,” or “That is just nasty, ” or even, “I would never do something like that!” These are all negative ideas that will only encourage more negativity to enter into your day!
Instead (and here is the key), look for the positive things that surround you everywhere. Focus on those things. Concentrate on thoughts such as, “Wow! I like that!: or, “That is beautiful,” or, “What a great way to do that task – I don’t think I would have every thought about it that way.”
When you simply focus on the good things (which does not mean to ignore all the negative things), your disposition will change and you will feel much better! You might even want to continue this practice when your 3-hour trial run is over!
Be Well.
Paul.
The Gratitude Guru
I find at times it difficult to think about the good things at this time. I have a 49 y.o.friend that is a quadraplegic that is going through more trials at this time. He is at risk of being placed in a nursing home R/T the increase in increase of the social security 2009. He has to meet a deductible of $666.00 to meet each month to get assistance. His SS check is $927.00/month. He is loosing his in-home aide service because he can’t pay the deductible each month. There are very few people that help him. Living on little over $200.00/month is difficult for him, and he is loosing his love of life. He loves being home, going fishing, friends and family. Please pray for this one: one of God’s children.
Marty I will pray for your friend. It is a terrifying thing to lose one’s freedom. I don’t know if this would be possible for you but I also know someone who ended up in a nursing home after a stroke, no health care benefits, no family near by. One woman rallied members of a local Unitarian to drop in and visit once a week at different times. They in turned engaged others. I heard of this woman’s plight in yet another way. It made her life better and the staff more attentive.
This is the link ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6msKrqmN3w ) to a video that my Life skills teacher found and showed to us in class. It’s called Lost Generation. It shows how different things can be depending on the way you look at them.