A Simple Question Can go a Long Way

Yesterday was Gratitude Day!!!!

So I’ve added the Appreciation Exercise to my daily routine.  It’s been very refreshing to wake up and spend just a couple minutes appreciating the things I have and the things that I have experienced.  I’ve also been spending the minimum 5 minutes per night just finding things to appreciate, and that has been a great way to settle down before I meditate and go to bed.

Because I’ve been starting my days out with gratitude and appreciation, I’ve been trying to find things throughout the day that ring the bell of appreciation as well.  I figure that if I can start the day that way and end it that way, I might as well be able to throw in a few random moments of appreciation too.

I have noticed that when I’m in a grumpy mood, it’s sometimes hard to appreciate.  It’s especially hard to appreciate the “negatives” I’m focusing on.  So I’ve found that if I can’t find appreciation or gratitude, a simple question to myself has worked wonders.

When I can’t find the feeling of appreciation or gratitude in any moment, I just ask, “What would it feel like I just appreciated _________?”
This question get’s your mind working and starts to set you in line with some better feeling thoughts.  It will literally start to line you up with the feeling of appreciation.  This question alone will start to attract to you more things to appreciate, more positive aspects of whatever it is you’re looking at.

This question has started to transform my outlook on the things I’m not appreciating, since generally when I’m in a bad mood, I’m just focusing on negatives.  When I really start to look, when I really try, I can appreciate most of the things that set me into a negative spiral.

I appreciate that you’re reading this and I hope it finds you well.

Ryan

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