Find Something to Be Grateful for Every Day

“Every day, be full of awareness of the beauty around you.

Be full of gratitude for friends and family, for the goodness you find in others, for your health and all you’re capable of.

Be full of acceptance of yourself and others — without conditions or judging, knowing that differences and changes make life interesting.

Appreciate the gifts of laughter and fun in your life, and find contentment in knowing that you can always control your ability to look on the bright side.”

-Barbara Cage

Through Tragedy and Difficult Times We Triumph

Some of the best things in life come to us because of difficult times – don’t fear hardship but embrace it & good things will come.

-Michele Deville

I have been thinking so much lately about many people in my circle of life who are going through difficult times.  It’s made me have an even greater appreciation for my life and my own circumstances.

It’s made me develop a level of respect for their character and the way that they work through their challenges.  They make me grow and inspire me in ways they probably don’t even know.

As I have been thinking and praying for these people, I have also realized that so much goes on outside my “bubble of life” on a regular basis, as I’m sure you can relate.

People have cancer, they are losing their jobs, they are leaving their families to serve our wonderful country and on and on.  Choices, sacrifices, and struggle occur daily and all around us whether we realize it’s happening or not.

Enlarge your vision beyond what you know – so much is going on around you that can help you grow, learn, and inspire…just listen for it.

Gratitude Greeting: The Small Stuff

Greetings!

I made a goal for myself that I would start doing some videos.  Well, my friend Lori over at Zen Rabbit and the Gratitude Cookie challenged herself and did her first, so the challenge was thrown out for me to do my own.  Thanks Lori for giving me that little extra push to get it done!

Having said that, I have sort of slowly launched this short little piece.  I put it up on youtube about a week and a half ago and have procrastinated putting it on the blog.

I’ve done a lot of speaking to various groups and audiences, done tv appearances and love it all, but – I have to tell you, video – a.k.a. talking to the camera directly with nothing else – whole different ball game!

I now have such an appreciation for my friends that are in the media – most especially my friend Kim Parrish, with all her time as a QVC show host – holy cow girl! I can now appreciate what it’s like to talk right into the camera on your own with no audience!

I love speaking. I love entertaining, motivating, and inspiring  a group.  I love the energy in a room – to see people’s reactions.  It’s completely motivating and energizes me….

My video series:  The Gratitude Greeting is meant to be a short nugget of grateful inspiration to motivate and inspire you as you move about your day and week.  I hope you enjoy it and keep coming back to the Gratitude Circle for more.  Please share us with your friends!

So here goes….my first foray into video…

In gratitude,

P.S.  Feel free to check out and subscribe to our new youtube channel at http://www.youtube.com/gratitudecircle

Gratitude Video on You Tube

I just had to share this cute video that I found on You Tube.

Enjoy!!!

The Gratitude Cookie & Zen Crunch – YUMMO!

I am very *grateful* for connecting with Lori from Zen Rabbit Baking Company.  Lori and I are both in the “business” of Gratitude and felt that we must connect!

Lori is the owner of Zen Rabbit Baking Company.  Zen Rabbit you say? Well, there’s a story behind it (very cute I must say) so check it out by clicking here.

Lori is the creator of the Gratitude Cookie™.  Not only is the Gratitude Cookie absolutely delicious (first hand experience of course!), but Lori encourages you to think about something you are grateful for with each bite.  I have to say that these deliciously buttery, crispy cookies encourage you to do that almost all by themselves.  Since they are crispy, they seem to take a little longer to eat as you savor each bite and reflect on your gratitude.

The cookies come nicely boxed in a little square box with a handle all lined up for you to eat.  They are a great value as well – making them a very affordable way to express your gratitude to those you love and appreciate. Check out the Gratitude Cookie™ by clicking here.

I also got to try another delicious tidbit from Zen Rabbit and that’s Zen Crunch™.  Zen Crunch™ was actually featured on the Rachael Ray Show in March as the snack of the day (how exciting)!

I must admit that I was very curious about Zen Crunch™.  I was expecting a type of trail mix, but what I tasted was entirely much more!  Zen Crunch™ is a mixture of coconut, oats, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and a sweet caramel nectar that binds it all together.  It is available in two varieties, Cherry Almond Chocolate and Cranberry Cashew White Chocolate. I couldn’t decide between the two so I had to try both – both are equally as delicious. It’s a great snack to munch on any time of day – great with a cup of coffee or tea in the afternoon.  Can you say Yummo?!

I encourage you to head over to Zen Rabbit Baking Company and check out these delicious products, read the story, and check out Lori’s Blog.

Lori and I are very excited to be collaborating together to share the importance of “gratitude” with others in our like-minded businesses.  We will be cooking up some great ideas over the next few months, so stay tuned!

In the meantime, feel free to follow us on twitter at http://www.twitter.com/zenrabbit and http://www.twitter.com/gratitudecircle to stay in the loop.  Good things happening here!

Gratitude and Positive Affirmations

I absolutely love this short video with Louise Hay, a pioneer in the field of positive thought.  I encourage you to take the 5 minutes to watch it.

Louise is such an inspiration and talks here about the power of positive affirmations which we have spoken about a lot here at the Gratitude Circle. Affirmations really are such a simple concept.

A friend of mine, who has struggled with her body image, is taking the time to invest in herself.  Her affirmation is the following:

I am a lean, SERENE, fit, and healthy machine.

I loved it so much, I told her that I needed to steal it for myself.  She gave me permission. 

I encourage you to find some affirmations that you can relate to and practice them many times a day.  Post them on your mirror, text them to a friend, and/or write them down each night.   There are many ways to reinforce them.

Finally, Louise speaks of the power of Gratitude and how much the universe loves it.  The more gratitude you feel and express the more you will get back to be grateful about.

It’s all about planting seeds and watching them grow. Small, subtle choices and changes, will lead to big and wonderful things overtime.

P.S.  Want to read more about positive affirmations?  Check out our blog post on affirmations from March by clicking here.

It’s All About The Climb

***************************************************

Lyrics from The Climb by Miley Cyrus

I can almost see it
That dream I’m dreamin, but
There’s a voice inside my head sayin
You’ll never reach it
Every step I’m taking
Every move I make feels
Lost with no direction
My faith is shaking

But I, I gotta keep tryin
Gotta keep my head held high

There’s always gonna be another mountain
I’m always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be an uphill battle
That sometimes I’m gonna have to lose
Ain’t about how fast I get there
Ain’t about whats waitin on the other side
Its the climb

The struggles I’m facin
The chances I’m takin
Sometimes might knock me down, but
No, I’m not breaking
I may not know it
But these are the moments that
I’m gonna remember most yeah
Just gotta keep going

And I, I got to be strong
Just keep pushing on, cause

There’s always gonna be another mountain
I’m always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be an uphill battle
That sometimes I’m gonna have to lose
Ain’t about how fast I get there
Ain’t about what’s waitin on the other side
Its the climb
Yeah

There’s always gonna be another mountain
I’m always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be an uphill battle
That sometimes I’m gonna have to lose
Ain’t about how fast I get there
Ain’t about what’s waitin on the other side
Its the climb
Yeah yeah

Keep on movin
Keep climbin
Keep the faith, baby
Its all about, its all about the climb
Keep the faith
Keep your faith
Whoa, whoa

***************************************************

A friend of mine, who is battling Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, posted this video and the lyrics in early March.  I had heard of the song at that time, but really hadn’t paid much attention to it.  As I listened to the song and applied it to my life, it’s like a light bulb went off. 

It’s now become my anthem.

We all try to get to the other side in life, right?  We always think if we can just get to the weekend, if we can just meet that deadline, if we can just get through the work to the end of the day, if we can just achieve that goal, if we just had enough money and on and on.  Can you relate?

It’s really not so much about physically achieving things – I mean don’t get me wrong, it’s great to achieve our goals and important to do so, but so much of the learning is about “The Climb” and what we learn along the way.

If we can actually relish in the journey as opposed to wishing away the day or week or seeing that we haven’t yet achieved that goal – think about how much richer your experience will be!

So many people have heard me say that I’ve done so much growing personally and professionally in the past five years that it almost hurts.  I often feel like the incredible hulk just exploding.  Sometimes good and sometimes bad, but when I now look back on it, I realize that I had to go though the struggles and the achievements to get where I’m at.  It’s really all about what I’m learning and doing along the way.

Life will never be perfect, there will always be another mountain to climb – that’s the beauty of life. We never stop growing.  We never stop changing.

Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, but it’s a matter of keeping faith – whatever that means to you – to keep moving forward and look at every experience as a blessing - no matter how hard.

I’m not where I need to be yet, but I am going to keep on climbing and enjoying all the beauty along the way.  How about you?

In gratitude,

P.S.  My bff and her family popped over last night to join in the celebration of my sister’s birthday.  It was a wonderful evening of friends and family sharing conversation, love, and oh yeah – yummy cake around the dinner table.  We got talking about our phones for some reason and my bff told me that I needed to call her phone so that everyone could hear the special ring tone she had for me.  I dialed the number and what did she have for me?  You guessed it, The Climb. It’s funny because we’ve never really talked about the song aside from me maybe mentioning once or twice that I liked it.  I know it’s only a ring tone, but it really meant a lot to me that she chose that for me.  It’s definitely my anthem.  What’s yours?

Reduce Stress Through Gratitude

We live in stressful times and it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Combating stress is a skill that we can learn in order to maximize quality of life. One of the most effective ways to do this is through cognitive redirection and focusing on positives rather than negatives. Acknowledging good fortune in our lives and not allowing problems and setbacks to dominate our outlook is an important and simple way to deal with stress.

It’s easier to be ungrateful about the bad cards we are dealt than to be grateful for what we do have and achieve. Sometimes it takes disaster to make us grateful for the things that we take for granted: a roof overhead, a warm bed and hot shower. Identifying the things we should be grateful for is an exercise in positive thinking that can actually change the way that we feel and balance out the effects of stress.

Stress is caused by many factors, but it is defined as a maladaptive state where the individual is not in equilibrium with his or her surroundings. We now know that the distinction between the body and the mind is of limited usefulness. Trauma to the body can affect the mind and negative thoughts can affect the body. Stressful experiences that prompt negative emotions have a direct affect on the chemistry of the body. Our bodies produce hormones and other chemical substances, including adrenalin and cortisol, in response to threat and stress.

Fortunately the opposite also applies. A calming environment and positive thoughts can combat the physical and mental effects of stress. By taking a little bit of time out every day to concentrate on the positive – even as little as five minutes – you can separate yourself from the causes and effects of stress.

Learning to recognize nuggets of good fortune can radically change our perspective. Problems can overshadow the things that are going well and distort perception. For example, we panic about uncompleted tasks instead of rewarding ourselves for what we have achieved. Especially over a prolonged period of stress, we can develop patterns of jumping to negative conclusions. Focusing on things that make us happy is a powerful technique for disrupting that pattern of thinking and reducing stress. It can even boost the immune system.

If you are tense, stressed and can’t see the wood for the trees, it may initially be hard to identify things to be grateful for. It may take practice, but it can be something as simple as a sunny day or a flower blooming in the garden. At first you will probably rely on hindsight but with time you will find it becoming easier.

As you train yourself to recognize how many things you have to be grateful for, you will stop taking these things for granted. Seeing that flower blossoming will immediately trigger the recognition that there is much to celebrate. As you integrate this appreciation into your daily functioning you will discover how the process reinforces positive thinking and with it your capacity to deal with stress.

Top 10 Inspirational Sayings

We all have those moments when we need inspiration to gain confidence and build momentum.  That’s why inspirational sayings are so popular!

When you live a life without inspiration, it can be a life without any real joy or passion.  In those moments where you need a little pick me up or a reminder of the many great things you have in your life, you can turn to the power of inspirational words. You need to have a collection of inspirational sayings in your toolkit that resonate with you so you can get more done and still feel great!

There are a lot of great motivational sayings out there that we can turn to when we are feeling down, but we should be using them all the time, rain or shine!  Strive to incorporate inspirational sayings into your every day life, using them to inspire you to reach higher and push harder so you can achieve all of the things you have set out to do and more.

Some wonderful inspirational sayings include:

1. There is a beautiful light at the end of my tunnel.
2. I take small steps in life and value my time.
3. In order to share happiness with others, I must also be happy.
4. As I let go of dissatisfaction, I feel happiness in my life.
5. My life is full of purpose, exciting change, and many recognized deeds.
6. No matter the challenge, I will see it through.
7. I am becoming more focused and confident every day.
8. I welcome positive energy and I use that feeling to accomplish more.
9. My life is already full of success.
10. I keep only two mental snapshots of myself: where I am and where I want to be in life.

These are all very simple inspirational sayings that work to affirm positive thoughts and attitudes in your mind.  Affirmations are simply positive statements that remind you of your goals and positive uniqueness so you can boost your self-confidence.

Accomplish More with the Power of Inspirational Thinking

Inspirational sayings and affirmations can help us move forward in life and accomplish greater things than we could have ever imagined.  After all, we can’t deny the power of a can-do attitude. If more of us incorporate inspiration into our lives, we would all be happier and more successful people.  When you incorporate positive sayings into your life, you’ll find that you’ll respond on a subconscious level and you’ll no longer need to look very far for inspiration!

If you’re down or lacking confidence, you can use inspirational sayings to find the courage to move forward and force out any negative thoughts that may be cycling through your mind.  When you say these statements with gusto, you are re-affirming positive thoughts in your mind, making them a part of who you are.  Remember to use these sayings at any and every occasion to give you the inspiration you need to get through any challenge, both big and small.

Join the Twitter #gratitude Party!

Join the Twitter #gratitude Party! Sunday Feb 8, 4:30 PM Pacific.

New studies reveal that regular practice of gratitude can increase your happiness by 25%!  Gratitude helps combat stress, heals the heart, and helps those who practice gratitude to notice the good things in their lives.

With Oprah and many other gratitude enthusiasts at the helm, gratitude journals, gratitude blogs, and gratitude practice of all sorts are sweeping the country.

And it’s not just a popular movement, but a scientific one, too. Many hospitals and heart health programs recommend keeping a gratitude journal as part of treatment programs for recovery from heart disease, heart attacks, and heart failure. Study after study is finding the proof that supports the practice.

There are so many reasons to practice gratitude! And so many ways to do it, too!

I invite you to join us for a gratitude celebration on Twitter! Sunday February 8, 4:30 PM Pacific time. It’s easy! All you need to do is show up at Twitter with your gratitude, and tweet it out, early and often. And, remember to put #gratitude in all your tweets.

Curious about how the #gratitude movement got started on Twitter?  Click here to learn more!

Oh, and just to make it a little sweeter, we will have many fun gratitude themed giveaways….so be sure to join us.

If you’d like to follow the Gratitude Circle on twitter, just click here.

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