Wednesday 4 November 2020

An attitude of gratitude


 Carol and I walk with our dog Molly every day, rain, hail or shine.

A ritual we have adopted is to express out loud what we're grateful for. It really sets up the remainder of the day for us.

We're well practiced in gratitude. We know that being truly grateful for what we have leads to more of what we need.

Being grateful is something I have practiced daily now for 44 years. At age 23 I faced a life-threatening operation with a 1 in 5 survival rate. I became the 1 largely because my surgeon taught me gratitude. In preparing for the operation that saved my life I followed his instructions to stand in front of the mirror and say out loud "I have an attitude of gratitude." I have been carrying out this ritual every day since!

In the best and worst of times I have learned that being grateful and having "an attitude of gratitude" is the key to living a happy and contented life.

As I explore in my Heart-Leadership book gratitude flows from love. It's one of eight heart qualities that I explore in the book.

Three actions you can take right now to adopt an ‘attitude of gratitude’ in your own best way

1) Describe what you are grateful for out loud while on your daily walk.

2) Start each day, before you turn your computer on, or do anything else, making a list of what you’re grateful for right now. Start with yourself personally, other people, and then things in general.

Take the intentions, feelings, and thoughts that arise into every action and transaction.

Make this ritual part of your everyday life. And if you need any simple, practical help with this, do give me a shout.

3) Regularly answer these two questions:

What's worth celebrating?

What can be better?

Here's 12 more ways to maintain an "attitude of gratitude".

Be remarkable.

Ian

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