Masterful Mindsets ~ Gripe or Gratitude List – Which is longer?
“Some people grumble that roses have thorns; I am grateful that thorns have roses.” ~ Alphonse Karr
Question:
Which is longer – your gripe list or your gratitude list? Do you find you focus more on what’s wrong in your life or what’s right in your life? Do you practice gratitude daily?
Action Challenge:
I have a confession to make… I’ve been having a bit of a pity party lately. Yes, even though I’m a coach that teaches mindset and success strategies, I am human. Which means I feel, I have fear and I fail sometimes. Of course, I do my best to always have the scale tipped in the direction of positive optimism, empowerment and success but sometime; things don’t always go as planned and it’s a bummer!
Some disappointments are bigger than others and likewise, some reactions are more negative than others. But one thing is for sure… what you choose to focus on makes all the difference in how those things effect your life! We all fail at times. We all experience disappointment at times. Life isn’t always sunshine and Champagne. Shit happens and it is easy to get down if you let yourself.
I’m not saying you shouldn’t feel the emotions that go with disappointment. It is absolutely okay to allow yourself to feel the emotions that are a proper reaction to a disappointment. But too often people get stuck focusing all their energy there, which is not where you want to stay! The reason for allowing yourself to feel those emotions is so that they can be released. And you can make room for new, positive emotions. Ignoring the emotions will only stuff them down and cause greater problems later. But likewise, continuing to gripe and focus on the negative will completely dis-empower you. Turning you into a victim of your circumstances and letting your hardships steal your happiness.
I was visiting with one of my dearest friends recently and she said something that immediately snapped me out of my pity party! This particular friend of mine suffers from MS and many of the debilitating symptoms that go with the disease plus she just had a painful back surgery after breaking her back in a bit of a freak accident. While we were talking about how she’d been through so much in the last several years of her life, she said to me, “I keep my gratitude list longer then my gripe list.” Wow! Talk about putting life back into perspective for me! I was in awe of her attitude. It was a beautiful reminder to me that my life is good. As a matter of fact, it’s damn good! And I have a choice to focus on the parts that are good or the pieces that are not so grand. Most importantly, as long as I continue to keep my gratitude list longer than my gripe list, I’ll be on the right track. And so will you! Sure, there are no guarantees that all will go as planned. But let the light shine on the positive and let it bring you zooming back into focus on all the good you have in your life.
My challenge for you is to take a mental inventory of your gratitude and gripe lists. Which is longer? If it’s your gripe list, then it’s time to commit to changing that. And one of the easiest ways to do that is to start a gratitude journal. It’s something that I have many of my clients do. Go out this week and buy a journal. There are many to choose from… find one that’s a beautiful soft leather or has an inspirational saying on it. Whatever you choose, just get one that speaks to you and makes you want to pick it up just by looking at it. Then start the practice of writing at least 3 things you are thankful for in your gratitude journal daily. Make them different every day (for as many days as you can). Look for the little and big things in life – like maybe that purse you’ve had your eye on, is now on sale or a biggy – your best friend’s cancer screening came back clear. There will always be a plethora of things to be thankful for in life. You just have to look for and acknowledge them. It’s your choice!
I heard a saying once, “It is not happy people who are thankful. It is thankful people who are happy.” Grow your gratitude list longer than your gripe list and watch how it transforms your life. Begin today… comment below. What are you grateful for?
***I want to hear from you… Share your comments below.