Hi Friends, I hope you were inspired to celebrate a loved who has passed, with a new tradition. I am so grateful for your replies and how it spoke to you. This week is Thanksgiving and I want to give you five practical ways you can incorporate being thankful in your daily life. We all know that being thankful has a ton of benefits. It improves our outlook on life. It increases our immunity. It adds to our happiness...and so much more. So, let me start with my pillow as I share with you what I learned about the power of being in a grateful state. The moment I wake up, I start implementing it. (The power is in the implementation, not the knowing.) So literally, one day, I woke up and I thought, "Ok, think of five things I am grateful for. Well, the pillow is soft, I am grateful for my pillow..." And that was the start of my wake up gratefulness routine. Before I get up, I think of a few things I am grateful for, and the first thing that comes to mind is still the pillow :).
Upon waking up, think of a few things you are thankful for
Take a gratefulness walk
Practice a morning affirmation
Have a gratefulness partner
Start a thanksgiving pause
About # 1:
When you wake up, just use your senses as a starting point. Do you have a silky sheet? A warm comforter? Heat in the house? A dog who is greeting you joyfully? A songbird that you hear outside the window? What do you see? Feel? Hear? Smell? Taste? A cup of tea or coffee can be added to the list. But, I really want you to start before you even get up. This practice is now a routine in my life. It will get easier with time.
About # 2:
Incorporate a gratefulness walk daily or weekly, that's up to you. Use the first moments to just be aware of your surroundings and be grateful for that. The trees, the sidewalk, the bird, the squirrel, the sky, the wind... Just see and notice nature. Or maybe, it's a neighbor you walk by, or a pond, or your mailbox, ...it doesn't matter. Just notice and be grateful for what you notice.
About #3:
Use a morning affirmation. Here are a few to get your creative juices flowing:
*I am thankful for this day.
*I am grateful for my lungs allowing me to breathe.
*I am grateful that I'm alive to experience another day.
*I am grateful that I am loved by a Divine love.
The more you use it, the more it will be a part of your day and you won't even have to think about it.
About #4:
Choose a gratefulness partner. Shared gratefulness is doubled gratefulness. You will benefit from sharing and your partner will benefit from hearing; then switch roles. This can be a very inspiring accountability thing. Imagine being inspired to be grateful. We do it with exercise and diets, why not with gratefulness? This can be your life partner, a child, a friend, a colleague...
About #5:
Incorporate a thanksgiving pause. You can do this literally anywhere; at your desk, on your commute, during a meal, whenever you feel stressed. It will shift your focus to something better. Just wait and see how powerful this is.
Gratefulness helps us to see what is there instead of what isn't
Annette Bridges
Let this Thanksgiving Day be the start of a yearlong thanksgiving practice. You will thank me later for it.
I can't wait to hear which one of the five you started incorporating into your precious life.
PS: Message me for a free consult to start moving toward a more confident you.
You are loved. Deeply loved. Loved beyond measure.
Until next time,
Isabelle
Call or write for a free life coaching consultation
#732-331-2246
Isabellestephensoncoach@gmail.com