How did you do this week responding
to Maria’s quote, “respond, not with anger or weakness, but from a place of
intestinal fortitude? After all, that is where the strength is, that’s where
true power lives.” This past week
was one focusing on strengthening your own person intestinal
fortitude. Will you move forward, never short change
yourself, and NEVER QUIT? What were your personal results?
I
realize I have had several blogs on the topic of gratitude, however, I recently
read an excerpt from Manfred Kets de Vries who wrote an essay, “The Power of
Gratitude.” He is a professor of Leadership
and Change at INSEAD. He brought up several interesting points which I think
are worth passing along and also happen to be timely for me on several levels.
Besides, a reminder of being grateful can never be brought up enough, in my
humble opinion.
According
to the professor, “Grate originates from the Latin ‘gratus,’ meaning the
readiness to show appreciation for, and to return, kindness. Grateful people count their blessings, have
the ability to appreciate the simple pleasures of life and are always prepared
to acknowledge whenever good things happen to them. They are also the kinds of people willing to
give something back.”
Gratitude
is literally waking up each day and being grateful for one more day on this
earth and having family that we love. My niece, Kelly, started a 100 day
challenge of finding something to be happy about each day. Isn’t that gratitude? After the first 100 days, she decided that
she would go for an entire year – 365 days!
I love reading her posts on FB about that day’s happiness. My guess is
that this has now become a wonderful habit of gratitude/happiness that will
continue well past her 365 day goal although it may no longer be necessary for
her to “report” on the specifics. Your financial bank account may not be where you
want it to be, but are you grateful for the fact you do have a job and you do
have money? Your fitness level may not
be where you want it to be, however, are you grateful for the fact you’re
beginning to exercise and see a difference? As Jim Rohn, John Maxwell and so
many other leaders remind us, “We will never get more of anything until we can
show God and the Universe that we are grateful for what we already have.”
“Gratitude
is a powerful emotion. It’s your true
nature; your essence; your center; one of your deepest emotions and get this…You’re
born with an endless supply of gratitude you can tap into at any time. Gratitude remains. It never lets you down,” according to Kets
deVries. Kelly’s gratitude is ongoing and a part of her day. I would imagine that before she began her 100
day goal, she would reflect on things.
However, now it’s a part of her essence, her true nature. “Gratitude is a moment to moment choice. And every thankful moment you have makes you
healthier and happier….Thoughts of gratitude translate into bodily feelings in
your heart and mind. Feelings such as
gladness, joy, peace, and love are flowing through your mind and body.” Those
feelings of gratitude are very different than the toxic, nonresourceful
feelings of jealousy, anger, fear, regret, holding on to past disappointments etc.
Those are the “weeds” that we need to get rid of and move on.
Being
grateful has been a long time goal of mine, however, I think in the past few
years I’m consciously being grateful of so many more things throughout the day
and right before bed. It’s past being a habit; it’s a way of life for me. Watching my grandchildren as they play, as
they sleep, as they interact with people and the world around them is always a
precious gift and one I don’t take for granted.
As I look around the home we built 29 years ago, the memories of raising
our children here and all the experiences we had as a family and now sharing
with Jon is one of my gratitude’s each day as I wake up to the rooster
crowing. Having my spouse of almost 39
years beside me each morning as I open my eyes and each evening as I end my
day, having the health that I do have and that Jon has are also a daily focus
of gratitude for me.
My
question for you is what is your focus?
Do you focus on the positives or do you focus on what you wish something
would be? Our bodies are always a focus
of attention but is that focus on what we like about our bodies or what we don’t
like? I just read a great quote that
basically said hundreds of industries would be nonexistent if we didn’t want to
constantly change our appearance. Hmmm. I continually refer back to Jim Rohn’s
quote, “What you focus on expands.”
Because I have a right foot that has had some arthritis challenges, I
will continually state my gratitude for a healthy body and the focus of my
gratitude is NOT on the one foot that causes me some problems. After all, I can still walk, chase after the
grand kids, exercise, and do pretty much everything I need and want to do. It’s
a mindset.
Do
you focus on the fact that you aren’t in a relationship, you really want
someone special in your life, and everyone else has a special person so why not
you? Or do you focus on how grateful you are to be young, healthy, employed
with a job you enjoy, and you have special friends and family in your life that
support you? That doesn’t take away your
desire for a special relationship, but it does take a different twist to your
mindset. When we love ourselves and are
grateful for all we DO have “it shows.”
That “reflection” shows up in our smile, our posture, our attitude, our
ability to support and encourage others etc.
Do
you focus on the negative naysayers you work with and may even be your
boss? Yes, we have to deal with them,
but our energy can go more towards those we enjoy being around, those we
respect and admire, and those who are also of a grateful mindset. Right or wrong, I sometimes find myself being
grateful that I’m NOT like that other person.
I’m grateful that I treat people with respect; I’m grateful that I do my
best to walk my talk rather than be hypocritical or carry grudges.
There
are TONS of things to be grateful for in an instant. It may be hard to find some days, but every
day you have on this earth is one more day to make a difference in your life
and even in someone else’s life. “Gratitude
is dynamic, a living emotion that can be triggered in us by thousands of things,
feelings, and ideas. All you have to do
is be conscious of it. When you’re
grateful you will feel it deep inside, but you have to be paying
attention. Gratitude does make you
happy. Kelly is a great testimonial to that.
“Gratitude makes you strong, energized, clear, and kind. Gratitude wipes out your complaining, pompous
ego, worry, fear, negativity, and misery.”
“Gratitude
can transform all our relationships. It
starts when you express gratitude or appreciation to another person. The transformation
begins when you have the thought of gratitude, and your brain translates that
feeling into beneficial biochemical and neurological changes in your body. The feeling of gratitude also expands the
heart, which has the effect of erasing old grievance and soothing resentments
and petty differences we may have been holding onto.” This quote came from a 21-day
meditation experience called “Manifesting Grace Through Gratitude” with Deepak
Chopra and Oprah Winfrey and was also quoted in the essay I referenced at the
beginning.
I’m
sure to some of you this sounds too “Pollyanna” and “Goody Two Shoes.” I know a few of you will tell me that it’s “easy
for me to say because I’m retired and no longer working with some of these challenging
people.” All that may be true on one
level. But why not try a different way
of thinking and see for yourself? Yes, I
have heard many of the stories of people my friends and family members are
confronted with on almost a daily basis, and yes, my first instinct is to want
to take them to task for their rudeness, stubbornness, or lack of
integrity. However, even in my place in
this world, first and foremost, I’m only in control of me. I will continue to be grateful for all the
things in my life. I can testify to the fact that the feeling of gratitude is a
part of me and feels very natural. All I
have to do is acknowledge that gratitude to me first. Then it’s amazing how easy it is to extend
that gratitude to others little by little.
“Einstein
describes it like this and he was really logical and scientific: ‘there are
only two ways to live: you can live as if nothing is a miracle; or you can live
as if everything is a miracle.”
I
wish you a week of daily gratitude’s and reflections.
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