Thursday, February 3, 2011

Day 3 - “I used to complain I had no shoes until I met a man with no feet.”

I love that quote! It's such a great reminder to re-focus our minds from complaining about what we don't have to instead focusing on what we do. Many people choose to focus on the negative, and unfortunately in a 24-hour period the likelihood that something negative is going to happen is rather high. Being grateful is a little thing we can do to drastically improve our moods, and therefore our whole days.

Researchers aren't exactly sure why people who think more positively experience such great health benefits. One theory is that an overall attitude of optimism and thanksgiving can help people deal with stressful situations more effectively. Therefore, if they aren't experiencing stress as severely, they're protecting their bodies from the harmful effects stress can cause. Also, there may be a correlation between having a positive attitude and implementing healthier habits into one's life (exercise, more social interaction, better coping skills etc). While it's unclear for sure why positive people are healthier, there definitely appears to be a connection. Lower rates of depression, higher immune functioning and reduced risk cardiovascular illness are just a few of the benefits.

Do you tend to be a glass half-full or glass half-empty kind of person? Try asking yourself these questions today:

1) How often do I complain? (Both aloud and silently)
2) How often do I think something negative on the inside but smile brightly on the outside?
3) How often do I let little things ruin my entire day?

Here is what I suggest the next time you find yourself forgetting to be thankful and focusing only on the negative.
1) Spend 5 minutes writing out all of your complaints from the day. Don't censor yourself at all! Just... well, vomit out all the gory details!
2) Rip up the piece of paper and throw it away. Do not skip this! It may sound weird but it's an active expression of your decision to get rid of your negative thoughts and emotions from the day.
3) Make a list of at least 10 things you're grateful for that day. Be specific! Don't just write that your grateful for your friends. Who are you grateful for and why?

Here's a little story. It's an email forward that got sent to me once. Maybe you've read it but it always makes me smile.

There once was a woman who woke up one morning,
looked in the mirror,
and noticed she had only three hairs on her head.

Well," she said, "I think I'll braid my hair today?"
So she did
and
she
had
a
wonderful
day.

The next day she woke up,
looked in the mirror
and saw that she had only two hairs on her head.

"H-M-M," she said,
"I think I'll part my hair down the middle today?"
So she did
and
she
had
a
grand
day.

The next day she woke up,
looked in the mirror and noticed that she had only one hair on her head.

"Well," she said,
"today I'm going to wear my hair in a pony tail."
So she did
and
she
had
a
fun,
fun
day.

The next day she woke up,
looked in the mirror and noticed that there wasn't a single hair on her head.

"YEA!" she exclaimed,
"I don't have to fix my hair today!"
  

What are you thankful for today?

5 comments:

  1. I love the story at the end. I'm definitely not that woman! I do believe in being grateful, though. Optimism is good for the soul!

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  2. I agree with Jill, optimism changes our lives for the better. I keep a thankful journal, and no matter how icky the day way, I can always find something to be grateful for.

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  3. I am not that woman either Jill! It doesn't come natural to most people I don't think to be THAT positive. :) The thankful journal is a great idea Julie!

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  4. Hi Angela! This is a great story and reminds me of how much I have to be grateful for -- and how grumbling never helps! Thanks for sharing!

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  5. Angela- This story completely made me smile! It is so true...Life is what you make of it!!

    Great post!

    xoxo--Tiffany
    delightfully-chic.blogspot.com

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