I want to help you not just survive, but THRIVE in these crazy times. Yes, it is an uncertain time and there are things that we won’t be able to control – but it doesn’t have to be an obstacle, it can be an opportunity.
For 7 weeks I am going to send you a daily dose of inspiration, because if we set our compass right, we can sail through this!
“He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.” – Epictetus
Tip # 9: Daily Gratitude Practice
Maybe ‘gratitude practice’ sounds too fluffy or too grand for you – think of it instead in real terms: Spend some time every day deliberately seeking out things that make you feel good when you think about them. That ‘good’ feeling might be love, appreciation, pleasure, contentment, calm, abundance, lucky or proud. The important thing is that you rest your attention on something that gives you a good feeling.
Take the time to FEEL the good feeling, not just to think a good fact. Luxuriate in it and take time over it. Neuroscientists who write about the value in gratitude practice often talk about the importance of letting the feeling linger in us. It takes three times as long for a good feeling to make a lasting imprint in our mind as a negative one, so really ruminate on it, soak it in, linger in that good feeing as long as you can.
Some people worry that loving where they are now will ‘take the edge off’ their drive or motivation to move forward. Being content with where we are now will always fuel our growth to where we want to be next. We can move forward with a sense of abundance and generosity rather than scarcity and grabbing.
The most common way to have a daily gratitude practice is to make a habit of writing down 3-5 things you are grateful for every day. Try to make them as present moment based as possible, not attached to future or past – get excited about your reality in this present moment.
Recommended Reading
Hardwiring Happiness, Rick Hanson PhD
With Dr. Hanson’s four steps, you can counterbalance your brain’s negativity bias and learn to hardwire happiness in only a few minutes each day. Why is it easier to ruminate over hurt feelings than it is to bask in the warmth of being appreciated? Because your brain evolved to learn quickly from bad experiences and slowly from good ones, but you can change this.
