The Power of GRATITUDE
Recently, I participated in a summit called The Power of Gratitude hosted by Angel Marie Monachelli where I had to answer the following three questions.
1. How does expressing gratitude help us overcome negative emotions or challenging situations?
In the midst of gut wrenching experiences, I have witnessed some of my greatest GRATITUDE W.I.N.S. because I practice GRATITUDE all the time. Practicing GRATITUDE cues your brain to comb through thousands of bytes of information to find the pieces that bring you joy, make you feel safe and secure, and/or makes you smile. As the Buddhist believe, “Pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional.”
Pain is part of the human experience, suffering is an unconscious choice. One way to navigate through painful situations and not suffer is by Practicing GRATITUDE. It may sound like I’m oversimplifying things, but I’m not.
A few months ago, my mother had emergency surgery and died ten days later. Even though I was in pain, because my mother’s death was imminent, I didn’t suffer. I was acutely aware of all my GRATITUDE W.I.N.S.
Here are a few of my W.I.N.S.
– Hospice was supposed to call me on Friday. When I spoke to the nurse on Saturday, she said they tried to reach me several times but couldn’t get through. Oddly enough, everyone else could. Had they reached me on Friday, my mother would have been moved to hospice that night and I wouldn’t have met the Rabbi the next day.
– On Saturday, an Orthodox Rabbi came to see me in the hospital. The fact that he was part of the Jewish Emergency Service and answered the phone on Shabbat was a HUGE W.I.N.S. He told me to ”live with her tonight” – rather than focusing on the fact that she was dying. (These were magical words.)
– Later that evening, my mother was moved to hospice and three of my best friends came to say their final goodbye.
Remembering the Rabbi’s words, we lived with her. For the first time since surgery, my mother was somewhat cognizant, and smiled when she saw them. In between tears, my friends and I laughed as we reminisced about times we spent at my mother’s home, played my mother’s favorite music, and reminded her of how much we loved her.
– My mother’s last words were, “I love you.”
– And the last sound she heard – my laughter.
The Universe presented me with many more GRATITUDE W.I.N.S. throughout that period. Practicing GRATITUDE is a powerful tool to help you find magic in life’s challenges, rather then trying to avoid them.
In “Tell Me A Story”, Vismaya Shares her experience about the last moments with her mom.
2. Are there specific techniques or exercises you recommend to enhance the power of expressing gratitude?
Whether you’ve never practiced GRATITUDE or just want to amp up your GRATITUDE Practice, incorporate the SSBR Method into your day and watch what happens! Beware, a consistent GRATITUDE practice WILL change your life!
S – Set your alarm to go off every three to four hours.
S – When your alarm goes off, STOP what you’re doing!
B – Take a deep breathe!
R – Reflect! Look for your GRATITUDE W.I.N.S.
Answer the following questions to find your GRATITUDE W.I.N.S.
W – Who or what made a difference for me?
I – What did I do for myself or others? (This step is HUGE.)
N – How did I nourish my mind, body, or spirit today?
S – What made me smile or laugh until my sides hurt?
If nothing happened during that time, it’s OK, you can do it again. It’s a Practice.
3. How does gratitude affect our ability to manifest our desires and achieve our goals?”
“Practicing GRATITUDE, supports you in manifesting your desires and achieve your goals by showing you what’s going right, all the ways in which the Universe supports you, and on what YOU’VE done well.
At the end of each day, review your W.I.N.S.. Pay particular attention to the “I” in W.I.N.S. Doing this allows you to see the progress you’re making towards your goals and gives you reasons to celebrate yourself.
Too often we only celebrate milestone accomplishments or wait until we reach the end goal, rather than the steps along the way.
Practicing GRATITUDE gives you reasons to celebrate all the time! Furthermore, you’ll feel better, be happier and have greater connections with the people around you.
If you’re ready to experience the Power of GRATITUDE, download your GRATITUDE Bingo sheet, at Living in GRATITUDE Today and let’s play!”
Written by Vismaya Rubin
Get your Gratitude Bingo here: LivinginGratitudeToday.com
Published in Affidian Magazine – https://affidianmagazine.com/the-power-of-gratitude/
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