As we begin the month of November, we tend to tie gratitude
to Thanksgiving. However, gratitude in
November must also be tied to our Veterans.
Those who have devoted themselves to ensure that you and I can enjoy the
freedom that we so cherish. The brave
young men and women who have served and continue to serve today deserve our
gratitude. Not just one day a year, but every
day.
The rule being shared today, written by Anthony Tormey,
speaks of practicing gratitude as a means of attaining success…a way to adjust
our attitude by being grateful. There is
so much negativity in the world; it is often difficult to see anything to be
grateful for. May I make a suggestion? Start by thanking a veteran!
Thank you for allowing me to share this with you.
Cindy Nonnemacher
Executive Assistant
Leader Development Institute
CindyLee@LdiWorld.com
RULE # 27 - Practice
Gratitude
The
practice of gratitude as a tool for happiness has been in the mainstream for
years. Long-term studies support gratitude’s effectiveness, suggesting that a
positive, appreciative attitude contributes to greater success in work, greater
health, peak performance in sports and business, a higher sense of well-being,
and a faster rate of recovery from surgery.
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. And for
gratitude to meet its full healing potential in our lives, it needs to become
more than just a Thanksgiving word. We have to learn a new way of looking at
things, a new habit. And that can take some time.
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 put our focus and attention. Pain and
injustice 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: colorful autumn leaves, body parts that work, friends who listen and
really hear, chocolate, liberty and freedom, warm jackets, a job, the ability
to read, roses, our health, butterflies. What’s on your list?
Some Ways to Practice Gratitude
· Keep a gratitude journal in which
you 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 that 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.
· Practice gratitude around the
conference table or make it part of your office routine.
· Make a game of finding the hidden
blessing in a challenging situation.
· When you feel like complaining, make
a gratitude list instead. You may be amazed by how much better you feel.
· Notice how gratitude is impacting
your life. Write about it, sing about it, express thanks for gratitude
As you
practice, an inner shift begins to occur, and you may be delighted to discover
how content and hopeful you are feeling. That sense of fulfillment is gratitude
at work.