Being thankful for all that we possess is essential to opening our hearts and minds, as it takes the focus off of all that we believe we don’t have and shows us that we do. This practice alone has been rated as the #2 way to raise happiness, for when we focus on our negatives we can’t ‘see’ any positives; and we will attract more negative in our lives.
You can blame your left brain for this; isn’t it time to get into the right where positivity and optimism live?
This is why gratitude and giving thanks is crucial. But it needs to be done consistently so it will become a good habit.
When we take the focus off of the negatives, and put it to seeing the positives, this is where the magic happens.
Being positive and optimistic creates good feelings to emerge and your focus will go towards now seeing only the good; the negatives won’t seem so catastrophic and you will do what it takes to handle them.
The Solution
One solution is cheap and easy to do: create a “Gratitude Jar.”
You might be asking, what this is and how will it lead me to being more positive; well, because we often tend to focus on the things we don’t want or don’t have in our lives we are actually attracting them.
This can lead to having a ‘victim’ mentality, as if life is unkind or throwing you lemons and not lemonade.
Creating a Gratitude Jar, that you fill daily, will show you that there is good in your life; you will now be more appreciative of them and work to keep them and/or improve upon them. Your brain chemicals will alter, leading to enhanced feelings of appreciation, happiness, and optimism.
It doesn’t matter if you use a jar, a box (my preferred method), a basket or other vessel to capture your thoughts. The important thing is that you do.
To create your gratitude jar, here are some steps to begin – it is actually a fun activity (your kids might love this):
- Get a jar and decorate it by using paints, markers, pictures or stickers. Label it, either “My Gratitude Jar”, “My Daily Thanks” or “My Thankful Life” as suggestions.
- Have small slips of paper – I use post-it notes – and a marker; these are where you can write down your daily thanks. It is important to remember to give thanks for all that you have, no matter how big or small; it could be as simple that you have life or that you ate the salad instead of that piece of cake. The little things help to make you more aware of all good in your life. Be sure to also write down what you are thankful for about you – compliments you hear, strengths, skills, or natural abilities, or positive actions you take towards others – these will lead to increase self-love and confidence.
- Put these in a place that is accessible and visual to see; this will help to get you in the mode of filling the jar as well as enhancing your awareness of your great life.
The only other step is to commit to taking action on this and being consistent; I recommend writing at least three things daily or as you are more aware. One thing that is in my box – I am thankful for all of you and feel blessed to have you as a part of my life.
Action Plan
Make this week your official “Gratitude Week.” Make your jar and begin filling it on a daily basis. Pay it forward by passing the idea on to those in your circle so their lives are equally enhanced. Be sure to pay attention to how your attitude and your life changes.
As a client of mine, who has been practicing her gratitude says: ‘Gratitude makes everything turn into a gift.”
I hope you have a successful week – If you need help gaining clarity on your business or career goals, or in developing your action plan, why not get some help – stop the struggle and call today to get started. I’d love to help you build the career and business of your dreams!
