Don’t you love it when someone has just the right words to help make sense of how you are feeling?
For me, today, that person is Dr. Seuss. He said, “Don’t cry when it’s over. Be grateful that it happened.”
What might be coming to an end in your life that you are grateful to have experienced?
Thanks to a little inspiration from alumna Kelly Blunt, heartspark proudly hosted a table at the 18th Annual YWCA of Greater Portland Leadership Luncheon today.
All 10 of us were moved by the keynote speaker, actor Victor Rivas Rivers, as he spoke of his own history of domestic abuse and how the YWCA provides resources to help others feel safe enough to break the cycle and turn their lives around.
We didn’t let the serious mission of the fundraiser dampen our mood. As you can see from the photos on heartspark’s FaceBook page – a good time was had by all.
Saying “thank you” is not just good manners. Cultivating gratitude represents one way to savor and enjoy one’s life more fully. Dr. Fred Bryant, a social psychologist at Loyola University of Chicago, notes that there are three ways that people savor daily living and appreciate the gift of being alive:
Cultivate a Sense of Gratitude
Here are some ideas for how to cultivate a sense of gratitude…and savor more of your life in the process!
By developing a regular habit of saying “thank you” for life’s little pleasures, you’ll find that you have more blessings than you realized, and by recognizing them, you’ll be receptive to even more bounty in your life.
I’m touched by how many people reacted to last week’s the heartspark way post on how “Altruism’s as Good as Sex” by giving to the Haitian earthquake relief effort. Thank you for letting me know how you interpreted the message as a timely reminder to Give it Back. Your response is yet another example of what big hearts you have!
When you can’t figure out what to do next, it may be because you’ve done more than you realize and it’s time to stop, celebrate, and let the world catch up with you.
You want to be rested and ready for the next adventure, right?
So, take a breather. It’s all coming together as it should.
What you say and how you say it play a huge role in determining how you feel about whatever you are doing.
Let me show you what I mean. If you were planning to stop by the grocery store today, which phrase would you most likely use?
A. I have to go grocery shopping.
B. I am choosing to go grocery shopping.
C. I am so fortunate to be able to go grocery shopping.
See the difference? Now, do you have to go to work? Have to take the kids to school? Have to go to the doctor? I know a lot of people out there who wish they could.
So, watch your language!
Be grateful for occasional criticism.
Criticism offers you the opportunity to either evaluate and apply a course correction or to self-assess and realize that they don’t know what they’re talking about.
Remember, just because it’s said out loud, doesn’t make it true.
And nobody knows what’s best for you better than you.
Sometimes all we need is a little perspective.
For example, did you know that if you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep at night, you are richer than 75% of the people in the world?
Seventy-five percent!
Suddenly my grumbling turns to gratitude.
How about yours?
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