Count your blessings. It's good for you.
If you think that counting your blessings isn't that important, consider the study that found that people who kept a journal in which they wrote down the things they were grateful for were happier, more optimistic about the future, had more energy and fewer physical ailments than the group that did not keep a weekly journal.
This study also found that people who take time to deliberately acknowledge their gratitude were more likely to feel loved, and that other people reciprocated with their own kindness.
5 Tips for Cultivating an Attitude of Gratitude
1. Count to 10.
Write down 10 things you are grateful for this year. Keep a small notebook handy (on your bedside table, at your desk at work, in your purse or backpack) and make it a practice to write down specific things in your life that you are thankful for.
2. Keep a talisman.
Find a smooth rock or stone that feels good in your hand and carry it with you. Put it in your backpack or your purse and when you touch the rock pause for a moment to say "Thank you" for something in your life (a person, a situation, a possession, an insight, a feeling) for which you are grateful.
3. Start a thank-filled tradition.
Before you dig in to Thanksgiving dinner go around the table and invite each person to share one thing they are particularly grateful for this year.
4. Acknowledge your gratitude.
Chances are there are people who have done something nice for you that you never got around to thanking. Take a minute to write them a thank you note.
5. Have a special place.
My personal reminder to be grateful is a beautiful old oak tree in the Carleton College Arboretum close to where I live. Every day when I am out for my run I stop at my "abundance tree" to express my gratitude for all the wonderful things in my life. As I touch the bark (in the same place every time), I feel my connection to the Earth and am reminded of my connection to all living things.
And finally, I'd like to express my appreciation to the many readers who took the time to complete the Monday Aha! Reader Survey. Wow. I had no idea that my Monday missives meant so much to so many people.
Thanks too, to the 35 people who volunteered to advise me on the creation of a "customer service" version of the Aha!s for people who deal directly with customers every day. I'll be in touch soon.
This week cultivate your own attitude of gratitude.
Be happy,
Barbara