Day 7: Simply...

Hi Team Gratitude,

 

Happy Halloween dear friends! Have a great and grateful Halloween!

 Hugs,

Amy

Day 6: How Gratitude Helps

Hello Team Gratitude,

For those of you who are closet science geeks (I am one of them), or if you just want to know a little more about how gratitude helps us, today’s message is right up your alley.  I found this information very interesting, and I hope you do too.  It has been scientifically proven that gratitude significantly raises optimism in our live.

How Gratitude Helps:

Here’s a smattering of what science has shown....

§  Our brain is a single processer. When you are focused (however briefly) on things to appreciate in your life, there is literally no brain space left for anger, sadness or worry.

§  As the practice continues you strengthen those neuro-pathways that look for what’s good in your life, making it easier and easier for your brain to find things to appreciate. It’s like weight-lifting; you build your gratitude “muscle” by using it. (Shawn Achor, in his book The Happiness Advantage, likens this to what happens after you play Tetris for an extended period. Suddenly, you see those geometric shapes everywhere — in the brick wall, as the city skyline — and you start making them fit together in your mind.)

§  When researchers pick random volunteers and train them to be more grateful over a few weeks, they become happier and more optimistic, feel more socially connected, enjoy better quality sleep and even experience fewer headaches than control groups.

§  Practicing gratitude daily for 21 days can significantly raise your optimism even 6 months later.

Above information found on the website http://thehappinesscoach.biz

Keep your eyes and hearts open for the many moments to be grateful today! Remember to do your gratitude journal writing because, as it states above, if you practice gratitude daily for at least 21 days it can significantly improve your optimism for 6 months (and we are doing it for 30 days, so just think how wonderfully optimistic our lives are destined to be!!).

Gratefully your friend,

Amy

Day 5: Gratitude in Perspective

Hello Team Gratitude,

Do you choose to look at life with a “glass half empty” or a “glass half full” mentality?  Do you see a lemon as too sour, or do you see it as an opportunity to make lemonade (or a delicious lemon chicken risotto J)? When David fought Goliath, he didn’t see Goliath as too big to hit, he saw him as too big to miss! Our perspective in life determines not only how we see things but also how we respond to them.  Gratitude is the same way.  Please take a moment today to put into positive perspective even the things that may be troubling you. The following poem has helped me to put my life into a positive, grateful perspective… 

I Am Thankful For...

...the mess to clean after a party because it means I have been surrounded by friends.

...the clothes that fit a little too snug because it means I have enough to eat.

...the taxes I pay because it means that I am employed.

... the child who complains about doing dishes, because it means she/he is at home, not on the streets.

...a lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning and gutters that need fixing because it means that I have a home.

...the spot I find at the far end of the parking lot because it means I am capable of walking.

...my huge heating bill because it means that I am warm.

…my husband who is on the couch watching football, because it means he is not out at the bars or with someone else. 

...the lady behind me in church who sings off key because it means I can hear.

...the piles of laundry and ironing because it means my loved ones are nearby.

...the alarm that goes off in the early morning hours because it means that I'm alive.

...weariness and aching muscles at the end of the day because it means I have been productive.

.... for too much e-mail, because it means I have friends who are thinking of me and are trying to make me smile.

Have a truly blessed day and wonderfully grateful week ahead!

In Gratitude,

Amy

Day 4: Practice Gratefulness

Happy Sunday Team Gratitude!

We have all heard the phrase “practice makes perfect”.  Although perfection is definitely not one of my goals in life, I do know that practice and preparation are needed in order to achieve great things.  We practice for tests by studying, we practice for sports by getting out and doing them, we practice for a marathon by running, running, and running more. Gratitude is the same way.  We must practice gratitude in order to get better at recognizing the many blessings in our lives.  I love this quote from Alan Cohen, author of "Chicken Soup for the Soul" regarding practicing gratefulness:

“Gratitude, like faith, is a muscle. The more you use it, the stronger it grows, and the more power you have to use it on your behalf. If you do not practice gratefulness, its benefaction will go unnoticed, and your capacity to draw on its gifts will be diminished. To be grateful is to find blessings in everything. This is the most powerful attitude to adopt, for there are blessings in everything.”

~ Alan Cohen, author of "Chicken Soup for the Soul"

Get out there today and practice gratefulness, while strengthen your “gratitude muscles”! The more we practice, the more blessings we will discover!

Keep spreading the “attitude of gratitude”, keep writing in your gratitude journals, and keep living the grateful life!

Your Thankful Friend,

Amy

Day 3: Piglet on Gratitude

Gratitude Day 3: Piglet on Gratitude

Hello Team Gratitude!

So many blessings yesterday... beautiful weather, wonderful friends, loving family! I hope that you had a blessed day as well and were able to show your gratitude in many ways. Today's thought for the day is a simple one, calling us all back to the joys of our childhood....

"Piglet noticed that even though he had a Very Small Heart, it could hold a rather large amount of Gratitude."
― A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

Have a wonderful Saturday!

In Gratitude for all of you!!

Amy

Day 2: Show Gratitude

Day 2: Show Gratitude

Hello Team Gratitude!

I hope that you are having a beautiful, blessed Friday! So how did it go with your first entry in your Gratitude Journal yesterday? Even though my day had seemed a bit crazy yesterday (what else is new :), when I sat down to write my “gratitudes”, my pen did not want to stop!  From the small sweet moments with my children to the beauty of a breathtaking sunset, I truly feel so grateful for my life! I also felt like I slept better last night, with positive thoughts of my day surrounding me, and I woke with a refreshed outlook on the day. I hope and pray that you are experiencing similar joys!

Today I challenge you to show your gratitude to the wonderful people around you! Here are a few simple ways that you can put your gratitude into action.  See if you can do one or more of these today or over the weekend:

5 Simple but Powerful Ways to Show Gratitude:

1.      Write a note of gratitude to your child, spouse, coworker, neighbor, or friend and put is somewhere that they will find it during their day (lunchbox, car window, computer screen, front porch).  State something specific that you are grateful for in your relationship with them.

2.      Say a heartfelt thank you to your mailman, garbage collector, bank teller, or grocery clerk. Look them in the eye and tell them something specific that they did to make your day a little better.

3.      Send a thank you note, email, or text to someone who has made a positive impact on your life, giving examples of why you are grateful for them. 

4.      Do someone a free favor. Without them asking and expecting anything in return, do something nice for someone who has been kind to you.  Buy them coffee and drop it at their work, cook a meal for their family, offer to run an errand, anything they’d really appreciate.

5.       Give a heartfelt hug to someone you love! Often we can go too long without showing our affection, but it is a crucial part of our loving relationships. Tell them how much you love them and say thank you for a specific thing the person has done for you.

Keep appreciating, keep writing, keep living the grateful life!

Your Thankful Friend,

Amy

Day 1: Take the Gratitude Challenge

Day 1: Take the Gratitude Challenge

Hello Team Gratitude!

I have to admit that I am overwhelmed with joy at the responses I received from all of you and with the number of people who are stepping up to the “Month of Gratitude Challenge”!  Thank you for joining me on this fun and hopefully very fulfilling journey. 

Today is DAY 1… Take the Gratitude Challenge! 

As we begin our Month of Gratitude, challenge yourself throughout the day to look at the world around you with a grateful heart!  Stop and take deep breathes often, seeking the beautiful blessings that surround you and offer praise for them!  Give genuine compliments and thanks to as many people that you can, including yourself!  See the good in all people, even those that may cause you stress. Seek not to complain, but instead let positive thought and words envelope your mind, your mouth, your heart, and your soul.       

DAY 1 also begins our journey of writing in our Gratitude Journal.  This is a simple task, but one that is truly meaningful and hopefully life changing. 

Here’s how your Gratitude Journal works:

For the next 30 days in a row, starting TODAY, record 5 or more things you are grateful for each day and why. These “gratitudes” should be something different each day and they need to be specific; you cannot say you are grateful for your family or for your friends without saying why. It’s helpful to choose the same time each day to write in your journal – you may choose to do this right before bed or if you are a morning person, you may like to kick off your day with it. You may want to set a reminder on your phone or computer for a specific time each day. Just find the time that works best for you.

It doesn’t matter whether you handwrite your gratitude journal or do it in electronic form. It doesn’t matter if you have a fancy journal or just grab whatever scrap piece of paper you have around. What does matter is that you spend a few minutes reflecting on past 24 hours and writing down the things that you can appreciate. Try not to make it one more thing on your to-do list, but rather slow down and open up to those feelings of appreciation for the blessings you have in your life, for everything you are grateful for. Here are some good examples of the “what and why” of writing your gratitudes:

I am grateful for…

§  My husband who helped make the kids lunch today because it helped me get them out the door on time.

§  The hug my son gave me this morning showing me that I am loved.

§  The phone call from my dad so I am reassured his health is well.

§  My friend who sent me a funny picture which made me laugh and smile. 

§  The quiet moments when the baby was sleeping where I was able to read my Bible and pray. 

Enjoy this time of reflection and soak in the blessings of your day!

Again, thank you all for joining me on the Month of Gratitude Challenge! Several of you have asked if you may forward my email on to your friends and invite them to participate as well… and the answer is ABSOLUTELY!  The more gratitude we can create in this world, the better!  If they would like to be on my official “Team Gratitude” email list, please just have them drop me an email. 

I pray that each of you are truly blessed today and in turn have a chance to bless others with your attitude of gratitude!

Your Thankful Friend,

Amy

 

The Challenge

Hello Friends,

With Thanksgiving just over a month away, I have decided to take a personal challenge over the next four weeks to be more grateful for the many blessings in my life.  So with this said, I first and foremost want to thank all of  my friends and family for blessing my life in so many wonderful ways!
In an effort to personally have a more grateful heart, I have created my own “Month of Gratitude” Challenge.  Starting this Thursday, October 25^th and for the next four weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, I am going to take steps daily to have a more thankful attitude and appreciative approach to life. I am writing to you, my friends, to ask for your support during these next four weeks and to invite you to join me on this month long journey if you are interested.  It will be very easy and costs nothing, but my hope is that it will positively impact the lives of all of those who participate. 

The challenge is simple… Join me in taking these three steps together for one month:

1.)  Strive throughout our days to seek “ways to praise” and give thanks for the many blessings in our lives. Eliminate negative talk about ourselves and others, and strive to give praise in all situations.  A few examples:

a.       Give thanks and praise to our husbands/wives, our kids, our parents, our mailman, or our grocery clerk instead of criticizing or complaining.

b.      Look in the mirror and smile, giving thanks for our beauty instead of searching for grey hairs and agonizing over wrinkles.

c.       Glance around our homes and seek 5 blessings in them instead of stressing over the things that need to be cleaned, changed, or fixed.

2.)   Take just a few minutes out of each day for the next four weeks to think about and write down what you are most grateful for. Grab a journal, notebook, diary, IPad, or just simply 30 pieces of paper stapled together.  On the first page, write “My Gratitude Journal” or whatever clever name you want to call it.  At the end of each day for the next four weeks, you will write down at least 5 things that you are grateful for and why.  I think we will all be amazed at how many blessings we will find each day!

3.)   Check your email daily, as I will be sending out 30 days of encouragement for our “Month of Gratitude”.  Each day I will send something out regarding gratitude (a quote, a thought, a bible passage, a picture, a challenge, or whatever inspires me that dayJ).  Keep in mind that I am not a professional journalist, just simply a friend who is out to spread the good news of thanks and praise. 

If you are interested in joining me for the “Month of Gratitude” Challenge, please email me at aconnelly34@hotmail.com with an “I’m in” or a simple “yes”, and I will add your name to the list for Team Gratitude!  Being on this VIP list will give you an all access pass to my gratitude emails and a chance to change our perspectives in a positive way.

Gratitude is a truly powerful emotion, with the ability to evoke joy and peace in our lives and the lives of others.  Together, let’s create an “attitude of gratitude” in the world around us!

Hope you will join me for the “Month of Gratitude” Challenge! Please email me back ASAP to join Team Gratitude, only if you are up for taking on the challenge!

Your Gratiful Friend,

Amy