Tip 48: Reasons to be Cheerful

I've found that worry and irritation vanish into thin air
the moment I open my mind to the many blessings I possess.
Dale Carnegie

When I lived in America I always enjoyed the Thanksgiving holiday which takes place at the end of November. One year I remember a commentator giving his personal viewpoint on this very American holiday. He recalled that, as a child, whenever he was upset about a perceived injustice, his mother would always give him the same advice: “Count your blessings, son.” He said that this always had a palliative effect and that when he really thought about it, the irritation (whatever it was) always paled into insignificance against the weight of all he had to be thankful for.

Some years ago, when I was going through a difficult time in my own life and finding it hard to focus on anything positive — let alone find much to give thanks for — a friend recommended the following exercise. I found it challenging but immensely helpful and now I recommend it to others:

Week One

Every day write down one thing that you do well / like about yourself and one thing you feel grateful for.

Week Two

Every day write down two things that you do well / like about yourself and two things you feel grateful for.

Week Three

Every day write down three things that you do well / like about yourself and three things you feel grateful for.

A cinch, you might say. Yes, but the catch is that you aren't allowed to repeat yourself at all. Not in the same week, or at any time in the three weeks.

If you enjoy this exercise you might find it beneficial to keep a daily Gratitude Journal where you sit down at the end of each day and write down all the things you feel grateful for.

It's astonishing how shifting our focus onto the positives can lift the spirits and enhance our sense of optimism and well-being.

Ignorant men don’t know what good
they hold in their hands
until they’ve flung it away.
Sophocles

Feeling grateful or appreciative of someone
or something in your life
actually attracts more of the things
that you appreciate and value into your life.
Christiane Northrup