#19: GRATITUDE - A STRATEGY
This Week’s Special Thanksgiving Edition: Calories, Memories & The Helpers
MANY YEARS AGO, I STARTED A WRITTEN THANK YOU NOTE HABIT. Following each week, I review the people I came into contact with and reflect on that interaction. Most of the time I focus on business meetings, but I also write notes to friends and family. Each note takes a few minutes. My goal is to express gratitude. I expect nothing in return. This year I’ve sent ~500 notes. Some years more, some less.
The thank you notes are for me as much as they are for you.
365 THANK YOU’S: THE YEAR A SIMPLE ACT OF DAILY GRATITUDE CHANGED MY LIFE by John Kralik is a great read for anyone thinking about picking up the habit.
I’M GRATEFUL FOR where I am right now in my life. I’ve found there is always tension between where I want to be and where I am. Occasionally, there is longing for where I was.
With conscious effort, I can be content right where I am at this moment.
ELEVEN OTHER THINGS I’M GRATEFUL FOR:
Lee Anne. My everything.
My boys. Who are growing up.
My health. Without it, I have nothing.
My friends. My best ones are the easiest.
My family. They accept me for who I am.
My home. A safe place to rest and reflect.
My past. Unchangeable and full of lessons.
My future. Unwritten and full of adventures.
My God. Always there for me, even when I’m looking away.
My parents. Who did their best and their best was awesome.
My business. Always evolving and challenging me in new ways.
THE EXPRESSION OF GRATITUDE can increase the levels of the brain's feel-good chemicals, such as dopamine, oxytocin, and serotonin. These neurochemicals are associated with feelings of connection, closeness, and happiness.
Right Now: Open up your phone notes. Set a timer for five minutes.
Fill in the blank - I am grateful for _________. Do as many as you can before the timer goes off.
Bonus Activity: Share your list at Thanksgiving dinner or have your family do the same exercise.
A LUTHIER is a craftsman who makes and repairs stringed instruments. They have a deep understanding of the construction, design, and acoustics of instruments, allowing them to create instruments that produce beautiful tones and are easy to play.
The luthier does not necessarily play the instrument. The luthier prepares the instrument so it is easy to play.
How much time do you spend helping to prepare a tool for the benefit of someone else? My talent requires the help of others. Do you express gratitude to the luthiers in your life?
WHEN I RECEIVE A THANK YOU NOTE, more often than not I keep it. I tuck it away in a box. I may never read it again. I may use it to start a bonfire. Or, maybe I will read it again at just the right moment and be inspired, encouraged or remember a friend whose time on earth has passed.
Faith improves my life. Here is a verse I like from the Bible:
I thank my God every time I remember you.
Philippians 1:3
A QUOTE WORTH READING:
When you focus on what you lack, it inspires despair in your heart.
BONUS THANKSGIVING QUOTE:
I collect calories and memories.
~Allison Candelaria
~IT IS NEVER TOO LATE TO BE GRATEFUL FOR WHAT YOU HAVE RIGHT NOW~
NEVER TOO LATE is a newsletter dedicated to exploring the timeless pursuit of personal growth and improvement, highlighting the enduring capacity for development throughout all stages of life. It is never too late to pursue wisdom in your life.
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Happy Thanksgiving, Renzi. I’m grateful for you.
Contribution produces gratitude; praise produces judgement.