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 other people, they tend to bother you more often.
* When you focus on the negative aspects of your business/work, you tend to feel more uptight, annoyed or stressed.


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

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

Becoming resilient to pressure is a choice.
How fast you bounce back from stress, pressure and burnout is a choice.


> Question: So, how do you choose to be resilient?

> Answer: By practicing gratitude


Dr. Michael McCollough and Dr. Robert Emmons say their initial scientificstudy indicates that gratitude plays a significant role in a person's sense of well-being.



They conducted the Research Project on Gratitude and Thanksgiving.
The study required several hundred people in three different groups to keep daily diaries.
The first group kept a diary of the events that occurred during the day,while the second group recorded their unpleasant experiences. The last group made a daily list of things for which they were grateful.



The results of the study indicated that daily gratitude exercises resulted in higher reported levels of alertness, enthusiasm, determination, optimism and energy.
Additionally, the gratitude group experienced less depression and stress, was more likely to help others, exercised more regularly and made more progress toward personal goals.
According to the findings, people who feel grateful are also more likely to
feel loved.
Gratitude encouraged a positive cycle of reciprocal kindness among people since one act of gratitude encourages another.


In an experimental comparison, those who kept gratitude journals on a weekly basis exercised more regularly, reported fewer physical symptoms, felt better about their lives as a whole, and were more optimistic about the upcoming week compared to those who recorded hassles or neutral life events.


So, the next time you start feeling overwhelmed by your workload, business crises, or relationship dramas, realise that you been infected by the illness known as 'accidental negative focus syndrome'.



Don't worry, the remedy is quick to apply and it is fast working :)




Action Steps:



1. Frequency of gratitude.


Make gratitude a daily practice.



Native Americans teach their children to wake up being thankful for each new day.

"be grateful you woke up that morning because thousands of people around the world, didn't!!)



Before getting out of bed each morning (or whilst in the shower), take just 30 seconds to recount 5 things that 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 gratitude

Start with small aspects of your life to focus your gratitude on.



If you eat cereal for breakfast, be grateful for having fresh milk in your fridge - which you didn't have to go out and milk the cow yourself for. Try being grateful for traffic - which means that you have a car. Try being grateful for bumping into rude people - which reminds you of how fortunate you are to have the type of friends you have.



Pracice an "Attitude of Grattitude" and you'll be amazed what a Difference
it'll Make!