Soar above life's drama with Gratitude Tools

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Developing a positive attitude, and appreciation is like growing a set of beautiful wings that let us soar above our ego dramas and life difficulties and see things from a different perspective. Developing a positive attitude just naturally leads to living life in a happier, more peaceful way. Gratitude practices are like precious jewels -- a little practice goes a long way.

 Here are some proven appreciation ideas for living life with a more positive attitude, greater happiness & for building self-confidence.

Supercharge Gratitude with a Gratitude Visit

 Making a Gratitude Visit helps us in developing a positive attitude, with an instant happiness boost more powerful than any other appreciation practice. According to Seligman the positive effects may continue for up to a month.

Although the Appreciation Journal has steady, long-term effects, the Gratitude Visit is a great thing to do for yourself (and the other person) when you're feeling stuck, or low and need a special boost.

 Write a letter, with words of appreciation, to someone who's love and support you are grateful for. This might be a family member, friend, teacher, mentor, pastor, etc. Then arrange to pay them a visit and read the letter to them. We so seldom remember to tell people how much we appreciate them. What a powerful gift for ourselves and those on the receiving end.

 I believe a personal visit has the greatest effect, but if there is someone who lives too far away to visit, don't let that stop you. Do a phone visit. So much communication now is done with e-mail and text messaging, but I believe this cultivating gratitude practice, needs a more personal touch.



Remember to Appreciate Yourself!

 Let yourself win and offer yourself words of appreciation, each time you write in your gratitude journal. You could tell yourself, "Thank you (your name) for writing in this gratitude journal and reminding me of the blessings in my life  and supporting me in developing a positive attitude."

Or if you find that is a bit much, you could simply smile, give yourself a pat on the back and say, "Way to go!"

Send me your Gratitude Tools to share

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Contact me, Spruce with Your Gratitude Suggestions that  can share with others and don't forget to ask for an introductory complementary Happy Ways Healing session  -- Intuitive Life/Career  Coaching & Counseling, Reiki & Quantum Touch©, Therapeutic Massage, Spiritual Direction. Minneapolis location or by phone.

Three Appreciations Journal

 Positive Psychologist Martin Seligman, suggests keeping a Daily Gratitude Journal. At the end of each day, write down three things that you were grateful for that day. Adding some detail to help the experience stay alive, when you read it later, is very helpful.  Having continuous numbering from day to day is also powerful.  Just imagine how much gratitude you will experience as your numbering get higher and higher.

 Doing this simple practice, for only a few weeks has long lasting effects. Seligman found people were happier and less depressed 3 months later, and still 6 months later.

To make this even more effective and to really experience more of the positive feelings you felt, when you were experiencing, whatever it was you're writing about -- slow the process down just a bit. As you write each of your "three appreciations" (or whatever you want to call them), take a breath after writing each one, and visualize what was happening. You could also have a gentle smile on your face as you do this. Smiling gets our endorphins, our "happy hormones" going in our bodies and promotes developing a positive attitude even more.


Weekly Appreciation Journal

 Don't want to do a daily journal? According to psychologist Sonja Lynbomirsky, even a weekly journal produces benefits. So don't get hung up on the daily thing, because then, if you aren't doing it daily, you might not do it at all. We tend to make up rules, not live up to them, get discouraged, and not reap the benefits of what we originally had in mind. Have you noticed that? I certainly have.