The recent incidents in France, Belgium, Mali and Large Portion of the Middle East have reawakened a deep sense of fear in many people across the globe.
Do fear, anxiety and stress have you tied up in knots? Are you trying to push back the darkness of depression?
As a part of my series on Psychological Body Armor, I am going to disclose the cheapest, and one of the most productive things you can do to lower stress, reduce fear and increase happiness. It is cheaper than therapy, has no debilitating side effects, and you will begin to see the benefits of using it almost immediately.
This ancient, but well-researched intervention is gratitude. Having an attitude of gratitude, expressing thanks.
The word gratitude comes from the Latin work gratis, more precisely gratus, which means grateful or thankful. As a quick side note: Mrs. Ruffo, my eighth-grade Latin Teacher while I attended Fort Valley High School in Fort Valley, Georgia, is probably smiling down from Heaven as I write this. I am thankful to her for teaching me an appreciation for ancient languages.
Gratitude is an attitude that demonstrates thankful appreciation.
Thankfulness helps people connect to something bigger than themselves as individuals whether to other people or God.
Psalm 107:1 says, “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, and His Love endures forever.”
Thanksgiving arrives this week. As you and I begin to prepare for this special time of year, I want to give you seven things you can do to push back the tyranny of fear, doubt, and darkness with Dose of Gratitude.
Gratitude is the thankful appreciation of things received, whether tangible or intangible. It helps you and me connect with something outside of ourselves, often something that is transcendent and larger than we are. Being grateful for people, and other blessings not only makes me thankful, but it also helps rewire my brain to be more optimistic.
Before I get into the seven tips for developing gratitude. Here are a couple of things to get your brain working. Here are some things you might think about, health, family, spouse, friends, significant others, relatives, pets, your talents and gifts, life, and job.
Here are eight things for which you can be even more grateful as we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving in 2015.
1. Write a handwritten note and mail it to someone you appreciate. Alternatively, invite that person to lunch or coffee and personally deliver your handwritten thank-you note. People love this because so many people have forgotten the lost art of a personal note.
2. Tweet or Facebook something you are thankful for.
3. Smile and be gracious to everybody. When that jerk in traffic cuts you off, say a prayer for him instead of some hand gesture.
4. Notice and be thankful for what you have.
5. Find creative ways to connect with family and friends that you have not seen for a while.
6. Say thank you to someone every day.
7. Leave a bigger tip.
8. Find ways to serve others this holiday season
Remember, one of the cheapest and most efficient ways to develop Psychological Body Armor is through developing an Attitude of Gratitude.
I trust that you and your family will have a safe and memorable Thanksgiving Day!
Would appreciate any comments.
