When you focus on the good, the good gets better – Esther Hicks
Martin Seligman began the positive psychology movement in 1997, which changed the focus of psychology from studying dysfunction to learning more about the things that make life worth living; good idea, Mark! Since then, there’s been tons of research on the benefits of positive psychology and what they call positive psychology interventions or PPIs for cool acronym slingers like us! One of the most successful and heavily researched PPIs is none other than gratitude. Gratitude tunes your heart and mind into positive things you’ve had all along but failed to notice or appreciate their fantasticness. It is so simple, yet is consistently shown to increase the quality of life. It’s amazing what happens when we focus on what is already there…..we just have to practice paying attention. Brene Brown, one of our favorite wise authors, says this idea beautifully: I don’t have to chase extraordinary moments to find happiness – it’s right in front of me if I’m paying attention and practicing gratitude.
A thinking trap many of us fall into is waiting to begin appreciating our lives until we hit a particular mile marker. For example, when the kids are out of the house, next year’s vacation, retirement, when I lose weight, when I finish those projects around the house, when I meet someone new, when I have more money, etc. A popular saying for backpackers and travelers is “Happiness is a way of travel, not a destination.” This means don’t get caught up in the bullshit rat race of wanting to get to some unknown point in your life to be happy because it’s not a place to be found. Life is happening right now! Make an effort to appreciate each breath, each stage, and each moment or you might just wake up one day and realize you have lived your whole life freaking out and never slowed down to enjoy it. Alfred D. Souza has a great thought on this:
“For a long time, it had seemed to me that life was about to begin – real life. But there were always some obstacles in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, and a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last, it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life.”
This is such a fabulous sentiment encouraging us to enjoy stages in life. Nobody said you can’t work toward your goals at the same time. A simple way to increase your awareness regarding gratitude is journaling. Simply jot down a few things you enjoyed, went well, or are thankful for each day. Even the tiny things count, such as I have the ability to breathe deeply or I am able to see. There are crazy good apps for your phone, which makes it handy to practice gratitude when you’re in line at the grocery or waiting at a doctor’s office. If you don’t like to journal, just thinking about a few things before you go to bed at night or when you wake up and have your morning coffee works just as well. Your gratitude awareness will also be heightened if you notice the things around you that you can see, touch, smell, taste and hear. The practice of being in the moment is a most worthwhile endeavor that increases your gratitude of each moment. We encourage you to practice gratitude today to improve your experience of life!
