Thursday is Thanksgiving here in the US. As I reflect on it, my thoughts turn to all the people, places, experiences and things in my life that I am grateful for. My heart warms to remembrances of family, friends and those in my business world who have enriched my life with their love and caring. My spirit rejoices in the knowing that I truly blessed in my life.
At this very special time of the year, let us all take time to go to our hearts and deeply appreciate the things that make our lives worth living.
After the turkey is stuffed and the table is set, set aside time to be alone with your thoughts and make a list of things you are grateful for. Better yet, start a gratitude book and vow to write five things in it, everyday, for which you are grateful. Write in your book at the end of each day, just before going to sleep. Focus on the words you have written and hold those things deeply in your heart.
At the Thanksgiving table ask everyone to express a few words of gratitude before eating. The word “gratitude” comes from the Latin word “gratia” which means grace and graciousness, and goodness knows, the world can use a little more of both.
What you focus on expands.
The experience of gratitude changes the biochemistry of your body. As you sit in appreciation for something and sincerely say “Thank you,” the coherence pattern of your heart changes. It shifts from its normal, stess-y, somewhat irregular pattern and evens out to form beautiful symmetrical waves of energy in your system. Gratitude changes you. Let me demonstrate.
Stop right now and think of just one thing for which you are deeply grateful.
Now shift the energy from your head, where you are thinking it, to your heart where you can feel it. Feel a deep sense of gratitude as you continue to focus on that one thing.
Breathe, deeply – three times. Spend just this moment letting appreciation seep into each cell of your body as you inhale deeply and exhale fully.
Now you have the hang of it! Feels good, yes? If you played along with me, you’ve just lowered your blood pressure, fortified your immune system and given your body a boost of beneficial biochemicals. You’ve increased your well-being and decreased your stress.
Thanksgiving is not a day, it’s a way of life. Give thanks daily for your family, friends, pets, business, customers, paycheck, home, health, happiness. Give thanks for the big things, and the little things. Give thanks for the joyful times and for the opportunity to learn from the painful times. Give thanks for the breath in your body, the food on your table and the people that enrich your life.
Make gratitude your habit.
Today, I’d like to say “Thank you” to all our customers, colleagues, newsletter/blog subscribers, and friends and let you know that we at JoAnna Brandi & Company, Inc. appreciate all you do to help us be successful.
We thank you for your business, your encouragement, your suggestions, your feedback. We thank you for your challenges, your words of appreciation, and your willingness to spread our message of conscious and caring business all around the world.
We thank you for practicing positivity and the art of caring in your everyday business. We are grateful to you for doing your part in making the business world a more caring, more loving place to be.
You see how easy it is to start the process? A practice of Gratitude has proven to raise levels of happiness for months at a time, so if you want to get happier – get thanking someone for helping to make your life, your job, or your relationships a little better.
And to lighten and brighten your day a bit I found a copy of the original Gratitude Dance – this always puts a big smile on my face.
