It is the day after Christmas Day, and the hustle and bustle of the holiday season has come and gone once again. With the last Christmas gathering for us this year ending last night, I thought I would take the time today to write down a few of the thoughts that have been bouncing back and forth within my cranium.
I have recently been reflecting on my own personal life and how I impact what I am teaching my two boys as they grow into their teenage years. One of the things that has stood out to me was the level of gratitude that I may not always give to the things that are around me.
Especially with it being the holiday season, everyone is looking for those special gifts to purchase for friends and family. Rushing from family gathering to family gathering, it is nearly impossible to take in and relish in the wonderful experience it is to just be in the company of loved ones.
We Determine Our Own Happiness
For most of us our jobs tear us down, and leaves us feeling depressed, tired, and even angry. We may look at ourselves in the mirror and feel shameful at how we look. Some of us may feel insecure and feel much more comfortable in our own homes and not want to be around others.
Whatever the case, I hope my words today can give even one person the courage and strength to start making some personal changes that will help them become the person that they want to be.
We all have the power within our self to become the best person we want to be. It is a matter of changing the perspective on how we look at things and situations that will get us thorough any kind of troubled time that we may be experiencing.
Find Gratefulness
Start by taking time each day to find something you are grateful for. This may be the most important thing to do for yourself. Look around, sit in silence and really reflect on what you have. These may be as simple as having internet to stay connected with friends and family around the world to something that may be overlooked as having a strong partner that is supportive of all your dreams and aspirations. Never overlook anything. Even the smallest things can change your outlook.
I believe that this may be the most important step in becoming a more grateful version of yourself. A strong reflection helps your mental game for things to come.
Start a journal and look back on the thoughts you had. Reflect and refine those thoughts of gratefulness. Doing so will help in recalling those thoughts will make times of distress and anger easier to coop and overcome.
Give Everything Your Best Effort
Any time that you decide to take on a project, assignment or task, it is crucial that you give it your full attention and stay focused. What is more satisfying than completing something that you were possibly unsure that you could not do before? Completion of a task gives anyone a sense of pride and accomplishment.
You should always look to give 100 percent of your effort to everything from cleaning up after yourself, to building a she-shed, to the day-to-day tasks that are assigned to you everyday at work. Even if it is a job that you may have disdain for, this will give you a better mind set as you search for your better employment situation.
Your experiences and efforts should be reflected upon with gratefulness. Those things that you may have considered failures should never be looked upon negatively. Those experiences help you to learn, and mold you to become better.
NEVER let a bad or negative experience dictate the direction you take to achieving your desired goals.
Do It for a Better You
Starting today you can help yourself in becoming the best you that you can be. Why would I want to write about this topic on an exercise program website? Fitness is more than just exercise. It is having the ability to balance physical strength with mental health. It takes practice, time and patience to achieve this kind of a lifestyle. Exercise helps with changing your mental health and attitude. Your attitude is what drives the desire to continue to be better. Gratitude is just one piece of the mental pie that helps connect everything together to have a more positive outlook on life.
I believe we could all practice the art of gratitude. But most importantly, you should have gratitude that you can exercise, gratitude that you made the decision to work on your body, physically and mentally.
With this practice, it will help in the patience needed for any exercise program. Practice gratitude daily and you will be able to enjoy your journey in your fitness goals. Always remember that the journey is a grind.
There are many websites that can be called upon to help in assisting you in techniques and exercises to aid in being grateful for the many joys that surround you. It is always a work in process. I know that I have many more steps in my journey to be a more grateful person. I know that my efforts will help me be a better person in my relationships with my family and friends. It will make my efforts in my career path a more pleasurable one and being more grateful will make any goal a more pleasurable journey.
Let us know what you are grateful for or techniques that you do daily that keep your heart a grateful one.