Discover The Benefits Of Expressing Gratitude

What happens when we neglect to feel and show gratitude for all the “things” we have in life – both the good and the not so good? We send out a statement that says:” Look at me - I don’t appreciate what I already have, therefore what right do I have to expect more of the same or better?” The result? We receive less abundance and benefit and understanding than we would otherwise deserve … and risk becoming more and more greedy and needy, or resentful and begrudging. The solution? To discover how expressing gratitude for everything in our life is in fact a way of accepting challenge as well welcoming further growth and abundance.

EXERCISE: Wheel of Gratitude

The Good Things In Life

This exercise is about creating a picture of all the “things” you are grateful for and appreciative of in life. Once complete, it will serve to deepen your understanding of where you are right this moment, and where you want to be.

Print a copy of the illustration below. List inside each segment all the things you are grateful for, including both the good and the not so good. Duplicates are allowed, e.g. you may include ‘best friend’ in both Family & Friends and Environment.

Once you’ve completed all the areas, take another look and add anything else that comes to mind.

Taking each area in turn, describe how you feel about the things you’ve listed. How much do they mean to you? What impact do they have on your life? How can they help you now and in the future?

Sample replies may include: Lucky … thankful … grateful … happy … okay …appreciative … average … challenging … valuable … important … lessons learned … could be better … better than it was … close … privileged … excited …

Elaborate on your comments.

What More Do You Want?

Take another look at the illustration and in the space around the outside, list the things you want to improve or develop or add to your life for each segment.

Circle those that are most important to you right now. Describe the impact they would have on your life and environment. What are the benefits and values?

What actions are you taking? What causes are you making? And how much do you have to change your attitude to gratitude in order to help manifest them?

For the next thirty days, turn the above into a plan of action and make it a reality. Get ready to welcome greater abundance, opportunity and growth into your life.

Make A Habit Of Expanding Your Life Through The Expression Of Gratitude

Visit www.rightlifecoaching.co.uk now for information on how to live a better life!

Best Wishes

Simon

"Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others." Cicero

Look For The Opportunity In Everything

What happens when we focus on the negative side of life instead of the positive? We miss out on seeing the breadth of opportunities that would otherwise enable us to develop and strengthen our lives. The result? We end up journeying on a downward spiral, feeling that no matter what we do, we simply won’t win. The solution? To start seeing everything in our life as an opportunity for growth; every encounter, every incident, and even every challenge.

Are You?

Constantly Focusing On The Negative Side Of Life?
Feeling The World’s Against You?
Fed Up Of This Constant Battle?

Begin making the transformation today!

What’s In It For You?

Discover Everything In Your Life Is An Opportunity For Growth
Learn How Challenges Are The Proving Ground For Future Success
Realise Every Encounter You Have Has Something From Which You Can Learn

By adopting the habit of seeing only the negative side of life, we risk standing still in our lives, or even going backwards. We also find ourselves becoming increasingly resistant to change. In a strange way, this leads us toward attracting more of the same just so we can feed our ego with another dose of “I knew it wouldn’t work,” or “I told you the world’s against me,” or “What else can go wrong?” In short, our life becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy of condemnation. The way to defeat this is to seek out the opportunities and lessons, and to act on them accordingly.

How do we achieve this? Simple – we ask ourselves questions like, “What can I learn from this situation?” “What will I achieve by overcoming this?” and “What do I need to do differently next time?” By adopting this more positive outlook, we naturally seek ways to learn and move forward. In turn, we discover how the world isn’t against us; it’s merely the way we perceive it. Result - we’re the ones back in the driving seat, and subsequently we’re the ones determining to take out the positives and use them constructively in our lives.

INQUIRY: Take a look back at some recent encounters, incidents and challenges that you chose not to see as opportunities. What could you have learned on each occasion? What opportunities were there for the taking? What will you do differently next time?

ACTION: For the next thirty days, put these determinations into action. Using this same mindset apply it in other areas of your life too. Over time, this will become second nature, and you’ll start seeking opportunities in everything you do. If things don’t work out at first, do not be disheartened. Instead, review what you’ve learned and re-determine again.

Make A Habit Of Looking For The Opportunity In Everything

Visit

www.rightlifecoaching.co.uk/ now for information on how to live a better life!

Best Wishes

Simon

"Too many people are thinking of security instead of opportunity; they seem more afraid of life than of death." James F. Bymes

Give More To Get More

What happens when we allow greed to get the better of us? Typically we end up wanting more of the same - and beyond - convincing ourselves we’re on a roll and that we deserve all that’s coming our way. Once in this routine we can easily find ourselves becoming ever-more dependent, believing satisfaction to exist only in the constant fuelling of our desires. The result? We risk become blinkered to our environment, and think more of feeding ourselves than those around us. The solution? To learn the importance of giving, because in doing so, we’re making a cause that helps others as well as ourselves.

Are You?

Always Taking Whatever Comes Your Way Without Giving Back?
Constantly On The Look Out For More?
Frightened To Give For Fear Of Not Receiving Anything By Return?

Begin making the transformation today!

What’s In It For You?

Discover How Great It Is To Give Without Expecting By Return
Learn The Importance Of ‘Paying It Forward’
Watch Your Life Expand As Your Efforts Return To You With Interest

By allowing ourselves to become consumed by greed, we lose sight of our core values - our focus becomes insular and we seek more and more to be of service to ourselves rather than to others. With such short-sightedness sure to cost us in the end, we must strive to see the reality of our desires and develop ways of being and doing that create benefit for others as well as ourselves.

How do we achieve this? Simple – we start giving to others without making demands that we receive something by return. Examples include spending time with those who are important to us, supporting those who are struggling, and even simply doing what we can to keep our word. More than anything it’s about ‘paying it forward’ through compassion and willing. Result – we become increasingly genuine and understanding as a human being, which in turn reaps benefits for all as a result of the sincerity in our cause.

INQUIRY: Be honest and ask yourself how often you feel greed getting the better of you. What effect has this had for both you and those around you; your family; your friends; and your colleagues? What is the reality that motivates this way of being and doing? What would be the benefits of transforming this into a more selfless way of life?

ACTION: Make a list of the people you should be spending more time with; the people you should be supporting; the promises you need to keep. Get a feel for the benefits you could be creating for those other than yourself - these are all good causes for which you will be rewarded.

For the next thirty days, start putting these into action; call these people; spend time with them; discover what you can do for them. Be sure to come from a place of sincerity or they may feel you’re after something. If at first this feels alien, get curious as to the reasons behind this before transforming them into ways of being and doing. Be sure not to expect anything by return. Instead, build on that sincerity you’ve been bringing to the fore and let it shine through. At the same time, continue re-investing in your life all the benefits that come your way.

Make A Habit Of Giving More To Get More

Visit

http://www.rightlifecoaching.co.uk/ now for information on how to live a better life!

Best Wishes

Simon

Gratitude Pt II

Having covered a few elements on gratitude back in April, I thought I’d write something new coming from a different perspective.

Over the summer, it was brought to my attention that it’s important to show gratitude not just for what we already have in life, but also for the things we acquire. The philosophy behind this is that only once we learn to be thankful and respectful for that which we gain, can we expect to gain more of the same.

Money is a typical example: on a professional level it can be great to pick up a pay rise, a bonus or some extra commission. On the surface these are all great benefits - naturally dependant on any knock-on effect from additional work commitments - but if everything works out well then we should be grateful for them. On a personal level it can be equally great to have an overdraft increased, a loan accepted, or to be lent a few extra pounds by a best friend when we really need it. Once again it’s for us to decide if its appropriate - especially if it encourage us to spend money unnecessarily and perhaps get futher into debt (another topic altogether) - but we should still be grateful. If they’re not right for us, then we must decline the offer.

Furthermore, we should express gratitude for all the other little bonuses that come our way, e.g. discounts on food, household items, cars, holidays, temporary loan rates, etc. And if someone buys us a gift, e.g. a “moving in” present, be grateful too. Imagine these as examples: your car breaks down and the cheapest estimate comes in at £500 - unimpressed, you speak to some friends and one of them refers a mechanic to you who gets the job done for half the cost; you move home without any furniture and a friend offers you a pair of sofas in excellent condition for £50 because they’re having them replaced; a friend suddenly pays back the £100 she borrowed from you a year ago when you’d given up on it knowing how much she was struggling financially. All of these outcomes deserve some degree of thanks because they’re each providing you with a benefit of some kind. That’s not to say that money is the “be all and end all” of everything - far from it - but it sures helps to save some especially when you need it most. Speaking of which, such savings could be used more positively and more beneficially elsewhere, couldn’t they? Let’s say you’ve saved £250 on having your car repaired, and feel so relieved by it that you take your partner out for that meal you’d been promising for weeks! Or you take that £100 from your friend and put it towards the cost a training course you’d been saving up for.

Another thing - as mentioned in the original Gratitude post, it’s sometimes appropriate for us to show gratitude to the person/organisation concerned in the form of words, a letter, an email, a text, etc. Other times it may be better for us to simply offer thanks to the universe. By doing this, we’re strengthening our respect, both for ourself and for life in general.

Gratitude is such a huge topic that other aspects will be covered in the near future, e.g. gratitude for those little moments that “help us out” during the day, through to gratitude for challenging and overcoming obstacles in our life. But before moving that far ahead, take a look below …

INQUIRY: What is your definition of gratitude? How often do you express it, both inwardly and outwardly? What are the differences in how you feel?

ACTION: Every day for a month, make yourself aware of the incidences when you should be expressing gratitude. Note how you respond - do you express something or do you let the moment go by with barely a thought or care? Familiarise yourself with the feeling of gratitude, especially if you feel awkward expressing it. Build up your courage daily until it becomes a habit that you feel in rhythm with. How does it impact your respect, both for yourself and others? And what other transformations does it create in your inner self?

Law Of Attraction

This is a topic that’s been appearing more frequently of late and probably carries more weight than I previously gave it credit. And having left my investigative/analytical past behind, I’m not entirely sure what it all means. So … taking an open mind, I’m reading over some case studies while trying to get a grasp on the scientific evidence that backs it up, namely quantum physics of all things! Can’t say that’s my speciality subject, so we’ll just have to see what happens.

Other than that, it’s more-or-less making sense, explaining how the focus of our intentions and desires resonates throughout the universe, thus attracting and manifesting those very things. In other words, we tend more often than not to ‘get’ what we’re focusing on. A simple example is attracting the wrong kind of partner into our life time and time again, with the Law of Attraction explaining how this can be caused by focusing too much on the negative aspects rather than the positive – a case of “why do I always end up with people that hurt me?”

One solution is to stop taking the default option of carrying the same intentions and actions into each relationship – the expectancy of hurt and failure – and to switch attention to what it is we do want. That’s not to say this is an easy transition to make, it’s simply stating that a change in mindset is what’s needed. For some of us, that can become a journey in itself, because finding and fixing the root of the ‘problem’ is going to take more time and effort, yet reap far greater – and indeed longer term – reward. So many things can come into play here, namely clarity, confidence, courage, and not least of all the desire to change. Yet this is exactly the kind of challenge we need to develop ourselves and move on, otherwise we simply stay where we are and suffer ‘the same old story’ time and time again. One particular thing to bear in mind, however, is that when we aspire for something that is simply not right for our life, then it is very possible that that very thing may not manifest as expected. This might be perceived as guidance from the universe prompting us to look for something else in that area. Another thing that can happen is that we get what we wanted, only to discover we really didn’t want it. Again, this may be perceived as another form of guidance, whereupon it’s down to us to learn from such an experience and realign our focus on something more appropriate. This in itself is a topic ripe for discussion, and something I shall be posting on in the coming weeks.

INQUIRY: Have a look at what it is you’re attracting in your life, whether it be good, bad, or indifferent. Include as many areas of your life as you wish, especially relationships, financial, career, and personal. Which of your thoughts, words and deeds are encouraging these effects to manifest? What could you re-focus on to create a more positive effect?

ACTION: Think of something specific you’d like to achieve or attain within a month from today. The clearer you define your goal, the more likely you are to maintain a positive focus and achieve it. Grab a piece of paper and describe in detail what it looks like, feels like, and sounds like. Now list exactly what needs to happen for it to manifest as you would like. For example, if your current car is proving unreliable to the extent that it prevents you getting to and from your place of work without worry, then you could focus on attracting the right car into your life. The specifics could include manufacturer, model, engine size/type, mileage, full service history, less than five years old, safe, reliable, etc. Of course, with an example such as this, it is also important to look at whether or not the universe is prompting you to look at changing your place of work – this is something only you can decide for yourself. Similarly, you must be fair with regard to what you’re looking for, i.e. by all means push the boundaries of being realistic but not to the extent that you’re being absurd. If a £5k three-year old Astra with 75000 miles is the right car for you then focus on exactly that, rather than on a one-year old BMW for £20k.

Finally, keep this piece of paper with you and use it for focusing with every day. All the time, remember your worth whilst reminding yourself of the benefit and value you can create with this opportunity.

Coming From The Heart

This is a topic I never would have approached in earnest a year ago, let alone at any other time in my life. Neither is it something that’s easy to share with just anyone – but I know it’s the right thing to be doing, so I’ll open it up with some questions and see what happens. I know that for those of you who connect with it, then great, and that for those of you who don’t, then that’s great too. This isn’t a lecture – it’s an observation shared.

INQUIRY: Ask yourself this one question: when you do or say something that comes from the heart, how does it make you feel? E.g. saying those three little words to your partner, taking care of your family, applying yourself to your work, etc.

Have a think about what all this means to you.

How much does it inspire you to develop and strengthen what you have?

ACTION: List all the words you associate with “coming from the heart.” What do the enable you to create and achieve? Make a list, then get out there and begin expressing them. If you feel uncomfortable, then push yourself just that little bit extra … see where it takes you, and what difference it makes.

Here are a few pointers: sincerity … honesty … trust … authenticity …

Fear Is The Gateway To Happiness

I heard someone mention this during the introduction to a training session recently, and I have to admit it landed really heavily with me. It was also exactly what I needed to hear, because I had been challenging my life more and more of late, and knew deep down that I had to continue doing so in order to expand my opportunities.

When given permission, fear can do so much to debilitate us. Yet when challenged and overcome, it can be banished for good, thus opening up all manner of avenues.

INQUIRY: Make a list of the things you fear in daily life and beyond. Think back over the last few days, perhaps even weeks … what obstacles and challenges have you had to overcome? And which have you chosen to shy away from?

ACTION: Now make a list of those you expect to face in the next few days. Right now, which are you likely to embrace as a challenge, and which are you likely to give in to?

Taking a look at both lists and ask yourself how much better your life would be if you were to conquer those fears. Be open and honest – you don’t have to share these with anyone. Just take a look at them by yourself. What steps could you take to conquer these fears?

Gratitude Pt I

This is something I’ve again struggled with for years - taking too much (and too many people) for granted. Don’t get me wrong – it wasn’t a case of being dismissive of others and their support, not at all – it was more a case of not realising how “lucky” I was. I think more often than not I was grateful on the inside, but perhaps chose not to express it. Either way, my perception on this has totally transformed in the last year or so, and now I’m grateful for everything in my life. I even have gratitude for the challenges ahead, knowing that some will be easier to embrace than others, but knowing at the same time that each of them is an opportunity for growth.

Having discussed with various people the value of expressing gratitude, I’m aware of how much confusion – and sometimes distress – it causes. For some, it’s very difficult – illogical even - while for others it’s straightforward and easy. Think, for a moment, of how you feel toward your parents, your friends, your environment. Which of these sit uncomfortably, and which sit easily?

INQUIRY: Grab a piece of paper, and on one side list all the things you’re grateful for in your life. Now turn it over and list all the things you feel you should be grateful for. How much of a discrepancy is there?

ACTION: Have a look at these lists every day for a week, and express your gratitude for each and every thing on there. If you’d like to do it through prayer, then that’s great. If you’d like to do it through thought, then that too is great. Perhaps if there’s a particular person you feel gratitude toward, then how about finding a way to express; perhaps through one of the above or something more tangible like a phone call or email. Whatever you do, make a note of how it feels. And where is this gratitude coming from?