Friday, April 29, 2011

13B- Gratitude

The upcoming topic will be Sharing Gratitude with our Children.  Join me tomorrow to read more!

The goal this week is to make gratitude part of your everyday life.  By being gracious and appreciative of everything you have, you open yourself up to invite more into your life.  If you begin to practice showing gratitude on a regular basis, you can go from saying things like "I am grateful for my family" to "I am grateful for the joy my children bring" or "I love it when my husband makes me laugh".  The more you practice showing gratitude, the more you will be able to drill down to the core of what makes you gracious.  You will be able to define what you are truly thankful for and this will allow you to appreciate life even more.

There are many different ways to show gratitude.  You can be gracious for external things, you can be gracious for the things others bring to your life and you can be gracious to yourself for the things you do well.  Try to be conscious of all of these things when you are showing gratitude.  Don't leave anyone or anything out.  If you are thankful for the blue sky and butterflies, put them on your list.  If you are thankful for the smile a stranger gave you or the help a friend offered, put that on your list.  If you are proud of the way  you handled your children or if you did a great job at work, put that on your list.  The list is yours alone, so own it!

The bonus challenge this week is to let others know when you are gracious for the things they do.  Make a point to let others know when you are grateful and see how it makes them and you feel.  If we all share positive thoughts with others, everyone will benefit!

Questions:
Either journal about these questions or spend some time thinking about your answers.
- What are you grateful for?
- How often do you think about the things that are positive in your life?
- How can you do this even more?
- Can you take a few moments each day to think of the things you are grateful for?
- How does it feel when you show gratitude?
- How does it feel when others show gratitude to you?
- How can you share or spread that feeling?

Fieldwork:
Every night before bed or each morning when you wake up, take a few minutes to think through the things you are grateful for.  Make this a daily habit and notice the changes!

Enjoy the journey!
Coach Gaye

Monday, April 25, 2011

13A- Gratitude

I hope you are enjoying the postings so far.  After looking more in depth at what we are attracting(last weeks topic), the next step is to look at gratitude.  Gratitude is defined as a feeling of thankfulness or appreciation.  When we are working on attracting the things we want in life, it is very important to be gracious for the things we have and for the things we attract.  I know sometimes it is hard to be thankful when we are going through a particularly hard time, but if we are able to look at the good we have, then the bad may not seem quite so challenging.

I am in a book club and our book this month was 102 Minutes: The Untold Story of the Fight to Survive Inside the Twin Towers.  After reading this, I am truly thankful to be alive and to have so many wonderful friends and family in my life.  I can't imagine what it would have been like to have family or friends that were part of this and I can't begin to fathom what it would have been like to be inside the buildings when they collapsed.  Reading this book really put my "struggles" in perspective for me.  I have an opportunity to participate in life and so many people lost that on September 11.

Another thing happened recently that gave me additional perspective on what I have to be gracious for.  In NC, quite a few tornados came through our state and there was so much damage and there were innocent lives lost.  The tornado came close to my neighborhood and it has really affected my community.  To see and hear what others have lost has really hit home.  Some of the stories are heart wrenching.  Not being in the storms path is something I am very thankful for but my heart goes out to those that were affected.

No matter how bad things seems, try to find something to be gracious about.  Most of the time, it could be worse, right? 

Questions:
Either journal about the questions or spend some time thinking about your answers.
- Do you show gratitude in your everyday life?
- What are you gracious or thankful for?
- What do you have in your life that you feel good about?
- What is something good or positive happening for you right now?
- How can you be more gracious?

Fieldwork:
Write down the things you are grateful for.  When you are struggling with something, bring out your list as a reminder of the good in your life!

Topic 13 Bonus Challenge:
Don't just think about what you are grateful for this week. If you are grateful for something that involves others, tell them. Share your gratitude!

Quote: Melody Beattie- Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.
  

I feel truly blessed for all I have in my life and I hope you feel the same about your life!  Enjoy the journey!
Coach Gaye