On Being Grateful.......

I have to admit to having felt sorry for myself a few times recently. Doesn't matter what I was feeling sorry about......just felt sorry for me. Things had happened in my life, as they do in everyone's life, that had created some stress and anxiety. At times I dealt with it well, at times I failed royally, causing me more pain, causing pain in my family etc. I wish I could say I passed this test with flying colors, but in truth, I scored a C-.

One of the things that has become clear to me is the importance of being grateful and developing a grateful mindset. Besides being THE way to live, it really helps change ones focus off of the crud that may be affecting us, and onto how fortunate we truly are. To do that, let me suggest a gratefulness journal. What is that you say? Sounds trite you say? Sounds goofy you say? I know, I know. I understand you feeling that way, and I'd have to say I felt the same way at one point, until I actually TRIED it! ;-)

So........what does a gratefulness journal look like??? Well, it's NOT just a list of words like this:

family
friends
job
home
health
favorite sports team
etc.

A gratitude journal needs to help you evoke the emotion of what it is you are grateful for. You need to ask yourself "why am I grateful for _______?" You need to feel grateful. So, to that end, here's my gratefulness journal for today, 1-16-09.

1. I am grateful that my son opened up to me about how he was feeling this morning. It made me feel like he can trust me and that's important to our relationship as he enters his teen years.
2. I am grateful for the time I spent with my wife at lunch today at a chamber event. It's fun to be involved in the community with her.
3. I am grateful for the opportunity I have to write in a magazine and share great information on health and wellness. I feel like I am getting to leave a mark on my community.
4. I am grateful for the loving heart that my daughter has. It blow me away and makes me realize how much more loving I could/should be.
5. I am grateful for having a successful business and the chance to serve in my home town area. I love the fact that I am able to be part of this great area.
6. I am grateful for the vision that I have for what I want to accomplish in life. I like the energy it gives me when I focus on it.
7. I am grateful for an awesome staff that I get to work with. I have the ability to let things go into their hands and not worry about things as much.
8. I am grateful for the cool weather outside this past week. I love the feeling of cool crisp mornings, though I am also grateful when it warms up a bit.
9. I am grateful for the passion I have inside of me for disseminating good wellness oriented information. I know I am working in my "sweet spot" when I do that.
10. I am grateful for my church family and our small group we met with last night. It was a great experience to hear other men discussing challenges in their lives and knowing that I am not alone in that.

Now, that was simple, took me about 5 minutes, but I gotta say, that after typing it and reading it, I feel great! I recommend everyone do that EVERY day.....10 things that you have to be grateful for, write 'em down and FEEL it! It will help reduce stress levels in your life!

Join us for one of our Eat Well, Move Well, Think Well seminars soon!