Saturday, November 10, 2007

Why wait until Thanksgiving Day!

Encourage others and yourself! Share a scripture, quote, devotional, lyrics, or anything that has blessed you and strengthened you in your faith.Don't forget to grab the button and to link back to Sheryl's post

So why wait until Thanksgiving Day to count your blessings? Regularly practice a few simple exercises to keep thankfulness at top-of-mind - and help keep your physical and emotional well-being in tiptop shape. Here are a few to try.

Create a list of your blessings. It's easy to take the benefits in our lives for granted. As a concrete reminder of your good fortunes, write down everything you can think of to be grateful for - large and small - and refer to this list frequently.
Take appreciation breaks. Several times a day, stop for a moment and make yourself aware of those things in your surroundings that inspire you to give thanks. Be attentive to life's special gifts, like nature, beauty, laughter, friendship, favorite comforts, delightful sensations and acts of kindness.

Search for the positive in challenging situations. No matter what, life is full of challenges! But with a little creative thinking, you can turn difficult situations into something to be grateful for. When faced with a problem, try to reframe your thoughts to focus on how it can be beneficial to you. For instance, dealing with a bothersome coworker or coping with your children acting up can further develop patience and compassion. Be thankful for your personal growth.

Keep a gratitude journal. Research shows that acknowledging just three to five things for which you can be grateful will increase your health and happiness. Keep an inventory of the positives in each day and chances are good that your lists will grow longer!
Spread the word! To double up your dose of gratitude, express thanks to someone else. Simply acknowledging your appreciation to another person can strengthen its impact - and also become a positive event in that person's day.

Try some of the following:

Say "thank you" to others as often as possible.

Send thank you notes as a special gesture when someone does something nice for you.

When something touches or inspires you - for instance, children playing or a beautiful full moon - give thanks to the universe, out loud or in your mind.

Make it a dinnertime ritual to have family members share one thing that happened that day for which they're grateful.

Make it your mission to be grateful every day. You're certain to receive abundant rewards as a result.

1 comment:

Nadine said...

Lovely post.

I answered your question.

Welcome