The Gratitude Shift
We’ve all heard of the Gratitude Challenge.. this is NOT it. Gratitude isn’t meant to be a “challenge”, but a way of being. A shift in focus if you will.
Thanksgiving is defined as being grateful and thankful for everything that we already have. In today’s day, it seems that we are constantly on the lookout for the next best thing, it’s a time of keeping up with the Jones's (for all those with the last name Jones. Apparently YOU are setting the bar). Consumerism has trained us that what we have, who we are and what we look like will NEVER be enough. It has trained us to find fault… But one of the wonderful things about our mind is that we can retrain it! To see the good, the beautiful, the happy.
Today is Canadian Thanksgiving Monday, it’s easy to take one day and talk about the things we are thankful for because they are usually the BIG obvious things. Instead of just one day, let’s retrain our minds to see the positive in all things.
So, I challenge you to embark on a Gratitude shift. This is my challenge, and I too am starting it today as well. 10 things per day. That’s all. Every morning, 5 things that you are grateful for, or that you love. And then, every evening, spend a moment to think of 5 things that happened in the day which were positive. Oh, and no repeats!
At first, you may find it challenging, but keep at it, and I assure you that you will be creating new neural pathways in your brain, which will begin to automatically look for the “silver lining”!
In all things give thanks. ~1 Thessalonians 5:18
So to start it off, my first 5 of the day are:
- Even though it's cloudy today we've still had some BEAUTIFULLY sunny days (just 2 days ago was spectacular).
- I'm thank for my preteen daughter who isn't "too cool" to hold my hand in public.
- I adore the fact that my "work" helps to make the world a better and happier place - 1 client at a time. And I trust in the ripple effect to help generations beyond that one client.
- Even though I don't love rain, I LOVE the smell of petrichor (the scent of rain after a dry spell).
- I'm thankful for the fact that nothing in life is permanent, everything in life can change. And be changed!
So, give it a few weeks, you’ll feel different... better… more optimistic. You’ll be smiling more! And THAT is a beautiful thing!