LET GRATITUDE IN

The practice of gratitude as a tool for happiness and well-being has been accepted in the mainstream for years. Long-term studies support gratitude’s effectiveness, suggesting that a positive and appreciative attitude contributes to greater success at work, greater health, peak performance in sports, business, and a higher sense of well-being. But while we may acknowledge gratitude’s many benefits, it still can be difficult to sustain. So many of us are trained to notice what is broken, undone, or lacking in our lives. For gratitude to meet its full healing potential, it needs to become more than just a Thanksgiving buzzword. We have to learn a new way of looking at things: A new habit! That can take some time. My CALM Power program approaches gratitude as a key learning in the Leadership Mindset tool box!

As small business owners, we can become overwhelmed and start to focus on what is wrong with our lives versus what is right. It’s a habit that once begun, becomes contagious.

That’s why practicing gratitude makes so much sense. When we practice giving thanks for all we have instead of complaining about what we lack, we give ourselves the chance to see all of life as an opportunity and a blessing.

Remember that gratitude isn’t a blindly optimistic approach in which the bad things in life are whitewashed or ignored. It’s more a matter of where we place our focus and attention. Both pain and injustice still exist in this world, but when we focus on the gifts of life, we gain a feeling of well-being. Gratitude balances us and gives us hope.

There are many things to be grateful for: a loving family, legs that work, friends who listen and really hear you, chocolate, canoes, warm jackets, water, the ability to read, roses, our health, or butterflies. What’s on your list?

A Few Ways to Practice Gratitude

• Keep a gratitude journal and list things for which you are thankful. You can make daily, weekly, or monthly lists. Greater frequency may be better for creating a new habit, but just keeping your journal where you can see it will remind you to think in a grateful way.

• Make a gratitude collage by drawing or pasting pictures.

• Practice gratitude around the dinner table or make it part of your nighttime routine.

• Make a game of finding the hidden blessing in a challenging situation.

• When you feel like complaining, make a gratitude list instead. You will be amazed by how much better you feel.

• Notice how gratitude is impacting your life. Write about it, sing and dance about it, express thanks for gratitude itself.

As you practice, an inner shift begins to occur. You may be delighted to discover how content and hopeful you are feeling. That sense of fulfillment is gratitude at work.

I am grateful to YOU for reading my Blog:-)

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