Gratitude Attitude
How can you seek more happiness, satisfaction, and genuine appreciation for life?
Here is a simple method - create a practice of GRATITUDE.
Cultivating an attitude of gratitude can help increase performance in life, which in turn can affect performance in the sports arena.
There are times when we are so zoomed into a negative situation it feels like the world is collapsing on us and our feelings have fully taken over our body.
The truth is - it really doesn’t matter. Those things that are weight us down are just our perspective.
When we choose to practice gratitude it allows us to zoom out and put things in perspective.
Let me give you an example. In my adult life I’ve adopted running more (week 5K / 3.1 miles) on a regular basis. During those 30+ minutes of heavy breathing and tired legs, there are thoughts in my head that make me want to quit and stop the pain.
Zoom in - immediate pain and discomfort through pushing my body.
Zoom out - finding gratitude in the ability to move my body in this way and finding gratitude for my health.
Finding gratitude in any situation can be challenging, but with practice it can become more natural.
There are many ways to practice gratitude. All of these tools can take as few as 2 minutes, but of course the more time invested, the more return you will have on your investment:
Journal and list all the things you are grateful for in the moment
Gratitude walk
Gratitude shower
Writing gratitude letters to a loved one
Texting gratitude to others
Going on a walk? Keep screens put away and tap into all the sensations around you. Sharing gratitude for the vibrant green leaves, slight breeze, sun on your skin, and the world around you can shift your perspective and ground you.
Taking a shower? Find the things that you appreciate. I did this recently and here was my list: the running water, dirt to clean up because that means I put in work, my clean hair for a fresh messy bun later.
The list starts to fill with deeper and more meaningful to me the longer I search.
When we express gratitude we are actually coming closer as a community.
Gratitude helps us vibrate at a higher frequency and connect with others on that wavelength.
We all are energy and everything we put out into the world is energy.
When we shift our thoughts to things, people, and places we are grateful for, it allows us to open our hearts to new opportunities.
Here are some benefits by adopting a regular gratitude routine:
Makes us feel happier
Increases our hope in life
Strengthen self-worth and self-esteem
Enriches life’s experiences
Build social bonds and strengthens existing bonds
Focuses on self instead of comparisons with others
Cancels out negative emotions
Gratefulness is at the top of the mood elevator - right above wise, creative, and resourceful.
We can only feel one emotion at a time and operating in an attitude of gratitude can soften the inner warrior to find new strength!
What are you grateful for today?
Want to take your gratitude practice to the next level? Check out a free “Attitude of Gratitude” resource created by my friend and colleague, Cristin Allen with First Teammate Leadership. Check it out!
