Day 130 in Gratitude

This post is from Evie Burke, Certified Life Coach. "Find the joy in your life and work one insight at a time." To find out more about Evie and her work, go to  www.oneinsightcloser.com

When I sat down to write this post about my perspective on Gratitude, all the ideas that I had disappeared.  As I thought about what I was going to write I remembered something I read (or heard) last week.  It was a challenge to list 100 things your grateful for.  So, I decided to do it.

I expected to get to about 30 things and then be stuck.  Not that I don't have lots of things to be thankful for, I do, but I wasn't sure about my ability to think of them quickly in one sitting.  I surprised myself by having just over 50 items listed in one sitting.

I also noticed something after that sitting.  I was much calmer and focused then I was before I started.  Before I started I was thinking about the appointments I have today and all the things I want to get done.  My mind was darting around from one thing to the next without stopping at anything long enough to actually make progress.  After I listed out as many things I was grateful for as I could, I noticed that my mind had slowed down and I was actually concentrating on one thing.

Now, part of this is because I sat down and committed myself to one task and once I got into it my mind quieted.  But something about writing down things your grateful for automatically shifts your mood.  When you're focusing on the positive things that are in your life you can't help but feel a little happier.

Keeping a gratitude journal is proven to increase a person's satisfaction with life.  Why? Well, you're more likely to focus on the good things that happen to you or around you when you know you want to write something down in your gratitude journal at the end of the day.  And when you focus on the good things happening around you, you tend to be happier and more satisfied with your life.

If you're going through a difficult time or just aren't as happy as you'd like to be then start keeping a gratitude journal.  If there's one part of your life that you're particularly unhappy with, try writing at least one thing about it each day that you're grateful for.  For example, when I was really unhappy at my old job I started doing this and found that there were a number of things I was grateful for.  Things like a kind word, the suggestion to get out of the office for lunch, or a conversation with a friend. 

Have you ever heard the phrase "Energy flows where attention goes?"  This is another reason that gratitude is so powerful.  When we focus our attention on what we're thankful for, we're flowing our positive energy toward it and will attract more of whatever it is we're thankful for.

I'm going to go and think of some more things and people I'm thankful for.  My goal is to have 100 before I go to bed tonight.

So, what's at the top of your 100 things your grateful for? 

Day 111 in Gratitude

Roz Kovel; President and founder of X-it Strategies, Inc., which offers financial literacy education and objective advice about financial products and services. She calls herself a serial entrepreneur. She wouldn't say how many but has launched numerous businesses successfully. Check our her site at www.x-itstrategies.com.

Evie Burke; Life Coach and owner at One Insight Closer. Evie is grounded in the belief that everyone deserves to wake up every day happy about the possibilities that the day holds, knowing that you have the tools for any problem that comes your way. She offers the tools. She offers one on one coaching to get you to where you want to be. Check out her site at www.oneinsightcloser.com.

Susan Kendall: Business Owner at AuroraNightOut.com. A few years back she was CEO for Girl Scouts of America Fox Valley Council. Now she owns her own business linking business owners in Aurora to potential customers through on-line advertising. Check out her site at www.auroranightout.com.

Traci Ellis; Chicago Market Director for Ladies Who Launch. Traci blends her experience as a veteran attorney, business owner, author and speaker to inspire and guide women entrepreneurs through the exhilarating world of entrepreneurship. She provides on-point legal counsel, practical, real-life business advice, workshops and tools to help women successfully unleash their inner entrepreneur. She calls herself a corporate refugee. Check out her site at www.ladieswholaunch.com/chicago.

Heidi Cleary; a makeup artist who is launching her own botanical / natural makeup and skin care line. She has quite an interesting story about how she decided to go in this direction after waking one morning with MRSA, a contagious staph bacteria that infected the skin on her face.Her line will be called Heidi Carin Cosmetics and as soon as her site is up and running I'll offer the link.

Diane Sabers; co-owner of a flooring company. She co-owns the company with her husband but this is not her passion. Her passion is starting her own outerwear fashion line of clothing. This has been a long-time dream of Dianes and is taking the necessary steps to get her where she wants to be. When she talks about her clothing line, her entire being lights up the room - she comes alive and bubbles over with passion.

I had the privilege of meeting and talking with all of these ladies today and can honestly say they are all extraordinary. I am blessed to have met them and grateful to have the opportunity to get to know them even more in the months to come.

What are you grateful for?