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Focusing on gratefulness keeps us centered and helps
ward off negativity. Here are five little
things we can do each day to nourish our sense of
gratitude:
1.
Choose your friends wisely.
If you want to be more grateful, spend time with
grateful people. Spend time with positive people to
be more positive; joyful people to be more joyful.
If you strive to be spiritually strong, supportive,
empowering, intelligent, energetic, and positive,
seek those characteristics in others.
Help
your friends develop more positive traits by living
those positive traits yourself. Know what kind
of friends will help you nurture your soul, and set
out to find some.
2.
Help your friends cultivate gratitude.
Before you say anything about a friend's situation,
remember that everyone's situation is unique. I've
seen it happen to myself and to my friends. They'll
be perfectly happy until someone tells them they're being
mistreated. Suddenly, they're upset.
Don't let your friends wield such power, and work to
avoid wielding such power yourself.
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Day by day, hour by hour, make a goal to avoid
complaining about your life. Make a pact with your
friends to cut the complaints from your
conversations.
3.
Give the gift of gratitude to your children.
Help your children to be satisfied and grateful for
simple, everyday things by giving thanks
aloud. Keep a Gratitude Journal in which, each
day, you record five or ten things for which
you are grateful, and ask your children for
contributions. Give your children a journal of
their own or keep a family Gratitude Journal.
4.
Say "Thank You."
Whom in your life do you appreciate? Let them
know, whether it's your mom, your kids, your
friends, your husband, your child's daycare provider
or the helpful woman behind the cosmetics counter.
Write
thank you notes regularly - not just after a gift
exchange - and be mindful of all the ways you show
your appreciation by the things you do in return.
Tell your kids how thankful you are for them. Jot a
note to each of your children in which you
tell them how much you love them, why you're
thankful for them, and all the ways they have
enriched your life. This can be something you
give them now or after they have grown.
5.
Be mindful of the little things.
Today, strive to be aware of all the aspects of your
personal, professional, and family life for which
you are thankful.
Take a few minutes today to appreciate nature. Go
for a walk and notice only those things that are
beautiful. Whether you focus on the stars above, a distant
mountain range, or the cottonwood tree in your
backyard, try to notice the details. Give thanks for
the beauty that surrounds us.
Regardless of whether you record these items, spend
some time each day to focus on the little things in
your life that make each day special. Perhaps
it's your child's toothless grin. A warm
home. Delicious food enjoyed with family.
Together,
let's work on focusing on what we have--not on what
we don't have-- and all the ways we can help one
another have more gratitude for the gift of life.
* * * * *
Susie Cortright is the founder of Momscape.com. Visit her site today
to subscribe to her free newsletters.
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