GRATITUDE

thanks bom...Ü


The Power of Gratitude
by Michael Licenblat B.Sc. (Psych),

Resilience Expert.
What you focus on is what you feel.In the same sense...
*When you focus on the negative aspects of otherpeople, they tend to bother you more often.
*When you focus on the negative aspects of yourbusiness/work, you tend to feel more uptight, annoyedor stressed.

It is not that people, work or life bothers us.

Rather, it is the negative aspects of people, work orlife that we focus on that tend to bother us.

Becoming resilient to pressure is a choice.
How fast you bounce back from stress, pressure andburnout is a choice.
> Question: So, how do you choose to be resilient?
> Answer: By practicing gratitude

Dr. Michael McCollough and Dr. Robert Emmons say theirinitial scientific study indicates that gratitudeplays a significant role in a person's sense ofwell-being.

They conducted the Research Project on Gratitude andThanksgiving. The study required several hundredpeople in three different groups to keep dailydiaries. The first group kept a diary of the eventsthat occurred during the day, while the second grouprecorded their unpleasant experiences. The last groupmade a daily list of things for which they weregrateful.

The results of the study indicated that dailygratitude exercises resulted in higher reported levelsof alertness, enthusiasm, determination, optimism andenergy. Additionally, the gratitude group experiencedless depression and stress, was more likely to helpothers, exercised more regularly and made moreprogress toward personal goals. According to thefindings, people who feel grateful are also morelikely to feel loved. Gratitude encouraged a positivecycle of reciprocal kindness among people since oneact of gratitude encourages another.

In an experimental comparison, those who keptgratitude journals on a weekly basis exercised moreregularly, reported fewer physical symptoms, feltbetter about their lives as a whole, and were moreoptimistic about the upcoming week compared to thosewho recorded hassles or neutral life events.

So, the next time you start feeling overwhelmed byyour workload, business crises, or relationshipdramas, realize that you been infected by the illnessknown as 'accidental negative focus syndrome'.Don't worry, the remedy is quick to apply and it isfast working :)

Action Steps:1. Frequency of gratitude.Make gratitude a daily practice.
Native Americans teach their children to wake up beingthankful for each new day. (Harry says; In my seminarsI used to tell audiences to be grateful they woke upthat morning because thousands of people around theworld, didn't!!)

Before getting out of bed each morning (or whilst inthe shower), take just 30 seconds to recount 5 thingsthat you are grateful for in your life.
It may be
* what is going right in your life
* the little things that add joy to you life
* the aspects of yourself that you enjoy and value
* the things in your life that you have accomplished -personal, physical and professional

2. Small gratitudeStart with small aspects of your life to focus yourgratitude on.
If you eat cereal for breakfast, be grateful forhaving fresh milk in your fridge - which you didn'thave to go out and milk the cow yourself for. Be happythat you have a job, others dont even know where and whento have their next meal. Trybeing grateful for traffic - which means that you havea car. Try being grateful for bumping into rude people- which reminds you of how fortunate you are to havethe type of friends you have.

Practice an "Attitude of Gratitude" and you'll beamazed what a Difference it'll Make!