Thriving with Gratitude
“I’ve come to believe that living in a state of gratitude is the gateway to grace.”
- Arianna Huffington
Can Gratitude help you thrive?Arianna Huffington believes so. In her new book Thrive, Huffington redefines success and describes how to create a life of well-being, wisdom and wonder.Huffington explains that:
"Grace and gratitude have the same Latin root, gratus. Whenever we find ourselves in a stop-the-world-I-want-to-get-off mindset, we can remember that there is another way and open ourselves to grace. And it often starts with taking a moment to be grateful for this day, for being alive, for anything."
Personally, when I find myself stuck in a negative mind loop, where I am focused on something negative, causing me to stress out and stay stuck in fear, the best way out for me is by going through my gratitude list. In my 7 Tools for Transformation, Tool 6 is: Gratitude for what you have NOW.I personally start with my relationships, focusing on my wonderful sons always cheers me up! And the love of my husband, my sister and my friends. Then I move on to my health, there is so much to be grateful for when contemplating one's health: feeling vibrantly fit and healthy, having a sharp mind, limbs that work, eyes that can see a gorgeous sunset, a sense of smell to enjoy freshly baked bread. Then I move on to my home, my job, my lifestyle. Everyone's list will be different. But one thing is for sure, when I am focused on what I am grateful for, my mood lifts every time! When I start focusing on my gratitude list, I cannot stay stuck in a negative mind masturbation loop, anxiously focusing on fear, it just isn't possible. Even if it starts out feeling a bit forced or 'by rote' - the shift in my head space by the end of the exercise is amazing. I urge you to try it next time you "find yourself in a stop-the-world-I-want-to-get-off mindset."I have attached two interviews with Arianna Huffington about her new book.The first one is a "Talk at Google" and is relatively long and in depth.[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtagD45fCMo] For those of you with less time, the second interview is with Ellen DeGeneres and is only 6 minutes.[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ef5ubeRBShk] Please let me know what you thought of these videos, and if you've read Thrive, I’d love to hear what you thought of the book. Or if you'd like to share what you are grateful for today, that always makes me happy! And as always, thank you for taking the time to visit. I appreciate it.