If you’re seeking to bring greater balance into your life then getting into the habit of expressing appreciation and gratitude is a good practice. It’s especially useful if you’re not having a good day or are frustrated by the events.
Gratitude Shifts Negative Thinking to Positive
Gratitude is one of the universal laws that says, what you give out you get back. When your state of mind is negative you can only bring positive into your experience if you change your perspective. Expressing appreciation and gratitude will help you to shift from negative to positive thinking.
An Example
Let’s suppose you had a job interview and the person interviewing you seemed very cold, uninterested, spoke down to you and asked you a lot of pointed questions. It was a job you really wanted but you could tell this person didn’t like you. You came out feeling frustrated and rejected. The next day you woke up and found you were pissed off, frustrated and felt less sure of what you wanted.
This is a perfect time to bring in thoughts of appreciation and gratitude.
Here’s what you might say:
That interview yesterday didn’t go too well. That lady was all over me and I knew right from the outset that she didn’t like me. She pissed me off with her attitude.
(Shift to Appreciation) However she did teach me a few things. First she taught me very clearly how to not treat someone. I appreciate that because I’ve had my times when I’ve spoken down to people and I’ve pissed a few people off. Second, she made me realize that maybe this company is not the right one for me because if they’re all like her then it would be a pretty miserable place to work. Third, she is probably a mother and she may totally dislike her job. I can understand her situation and I wish her well.
(Gratitude) All is good. I’ve got a great home, a loving wife, family and friends. Life is good and it’s nice to know that I live in a country where wealth abounds, opportunity is available and really it’s just about me meeting the right people who see the value in what I have to offer. All is well…
You can go on to express gratitude about anything from your car, the traffic lights, bank account, whatever… Negative feelings dissipate with continued expressions of gratitude and it can help to change your mindset.
Oprah talks a lot about gratitude and uses it in her life.
Gratitude is an effective tool for creating Life Balance.
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