Have you ever heard the saying “Where attention goes, energy flows”?
It’s not a new concept, but always one that bears repeating.
Choosing gratitude and appreciation over criticism and negativity leads to attracting more of the things you can appreciate and be grateful for.
In fact, there is plenty of research to show the impact of gratitude. An article published on Harvard Health Publishing in November 2011 has a particular study of interest. The researchers had participants write a few sentences each week with one group focusing on gratitude and the other on things that irritated them. The outcome, not very shocking! The group that focused on gratitude felt better about their lives, but not only that, they found that they exercised more and had fewer doctor visits than those that were focusing on negativity. You can check out the entire article here – https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/giving-thanks-can-make-you-happier
I myself have always been a bit of a “Negative Nelly”, it seems to be in my blood. Okay, my dad literally always said my mom was a pessimist and I may have followed suit. But we don’t have to let genes get in the way of living our best life. It just takes a shift in our focus.
One of the things that I found to help me make this shift in my focus is taking a few moments each morning to make a gratitude list. I actually have a journal specifically for this. But this isn’t your average gratitude list.
I like to rotate through the following prompts. You could use these or create your own.
10 things I love about my life
10 things that make me feel good
I feel grateful when…
I love it when….
I appreciate the following 10 people
I appreciate these blessings in my life
I love counting my many blessings
I am grateful that these things happened in my past
I love the following parts of me
10 things that make me feel good
I love all these blessings in my life
I encourage you to try this practice for a month.
Take some time to notice the shift as you focus on gratitude as opposed to the negative aspects whether external or internal that may be happening in your life.
I would like to end with one of my favorite quotes:
“Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.”
~ William Arthur Ward
