Self-Improvement | Gratitude/appreciation | The Self Improvement Blog

Happiness Factors

December 10, 2010 By Admin Leave a Comment

Why are some people happy and others not? There are certain factors that contribute to one’s ability to be “happy” under most circumstances. These are a few…

1. Flexibility. The old saying “once you make a plan, God laughs,” has proven true time and time again in my own life. Being able to adjust to changing life events, even as minor as dinner plans, with flexibility and ease leads directly to happiness. Why? Flexibility means forsaking control – willingly. Quite a feat to be sure, but a gift – only to be received if you are willing to give up control first.

2. Don’t take it personally. As my father wisely once said, “Some people are just a@@holes.” You can be assured in your life that your will encounter some real “pains in the bottom”, difficult situations, unfairness, and other assorted crap. Promise. And the person sitting next to you, same thing. The same goes with any other person you meet in your life too. We are all stumbling through at times. So, relax, take a breath and imagine what you would like to happen in whatever situation is causing you difficulty. Focusing on what you want enables you to emerge from any frustration with clarity.

3. Humor. Once you are able to either laugh at yourself or whatever the situation, you bring lightness to your heart. Laughter feels good. Watch funny movies, read amusing books, talk to a friend who always makes you laugh, go bowling. Just by adding more laughter to your life and you will notice, gently a quiet lightness entering your thoughts and being.

4. Positive attitude. I am not suggesting to live like some annoying, over-the-top Polly-Anna, but to live your life on the foundation that, “all is well.” This isn’t to deny there are problems or tragedies in life, but it does focus on solutions instead of the difficulties.

5. Gratitude. Happy people are reminded each day of their blessings – the good and the difficult. As much as it drives me nuts, challenges are opportunities. Opportunities to learn, to grow and most importantly, to know yourself better. True gratitude is born out of compassion – just as much for yourself as others.

6. Confidence. Not swaggering, but a calm knowing of ones own abilities. Confidence also means knowing you will stumble on occasion, but the confident person knows not to make a habit of it.

7. Presence. Happy people live right now, in this moment – not dreaming about yesterday or fantasying about tomorrow. Here and now – laughing about the things that others might be frustrated by, and knowing all is well…

8. Choice. All happy people know happiness is a choice. Some days it’s easier to be happy, while other days may be a bit more of a struggle. However, knowing that you have the choice to lift yourself up or push yourself down – often leads to better decisions.

Happiness is not derived from one isolated event, but by attitudes and beliefs. Gratefully, like choice, each of us has the power to change our attitudes and beliefs with time and attention.

Happiness isn’t for someone else, it’s for you. It is for each one of us to sink deeply into the happiness of this moment, however mundane the pleasures. May you discover happiness already waits for you, deep within.

Kelly Ballard is a workshop leader, Intuitive Guide and Healer. Through workshops, private sessions and guided meditations Kelly specializes in helping others discover positive solutions for immediate change/growth in their lives thus drawing their most abundant life into reality. Find out more information about her services and meditation CDs at http://www.kellyballard.com Contact her directly at 720-984-4232 or email kelly@kellyballard.com She lives in Boulder, CO.

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Filed Under: Happiness Tagged With: choice, confidence, flexible, Gratitude/appreciation, Happiness Factors, health, Humor, list, positive attitude, presence

Thanksgiving: Gratitude and Happiness – 3 Levels

November 21, 2010 By Guest Contributor Leave a Comment

By Edi Sowers -

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, it’s time for a check-up to see how our hearts are doing – and I don’t mean cardio-vascular health. I’m talking about the condition of our gratitude heart.

The level of gratitude we practice on a regular basis has a direct and specific correlation to our level of contentment and happiness.

Take a look at the 3 levels of gratitude to determine your current condition, and decide what steps you can take to improve your “heart health.”

Level One – Beginner

This gratitude level presumes that one has made a bold leap to be intentional about gratefulness on a regular basis. A gratitude beginner is someone who has decided to make a habit of carving out one small slice of each day to focus on and talk about gratefulness.

A suggested starting point for a beginner is to develop a family dinner-time tradition where everyone shares one thing from their day for which they are grateful.

Level Two – Intermediate

The intermediate level is even more focused on the intentional, planned, chosen act of being grateful. It goes beyond selecting one thing out of the day to share with family. This level requires a more in-depth commitment to making gratitude a way of life.

Many people at this level keep a gratitude journal, and find that the act of writing down the things for which they are grateful develops a heart which is more inclined towards gratefulness throughout the entire day.

A good place to start for this level is to make a habit of writing at least 5 items per day that you are grateful to have in your life: a person, a thing, a place, a circumstance, a skill, an experience, etc. By making this a daily habit, your heart will begin to respond more readily towards gratefulness.

Level Three – Advanced

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” – Philippians 4:6

Your gratitude heart is in tip-top shape when you reach the advanced level. This level is demonstrated by an attitude of thankfulness even in the midst of trouble.

Not many people operate at this level on an ongoing basis from day to day. With God’s help and strength, we are able to see beyond circumstances and realize that there can be some greater good, even in the midst of difficulty.

If you have had the privilege of knowing someone who has reached the advanced level of gratitude, you can attest to how inspiring, humbling, and encouraging it is to have them in your life.

The Level One and Two gratitude habits must be maintained and expanded upon in order to reach the Advanced Gratitude level.

Only when we are able and willing to look beyond our circumstances, humble ourselves, and maintain a posture of prayer in our heart, will we truly have a life overflowing with the gift of gratefulness.

May you begin to experience ever-increasing levels of gratitude in your life, starting today.

Visit [http://LifeHouseCoaching.com/]“LifeHouse Coaching [http://LifeHouseCoaching.com] and sign up to receive Edi’s weekly articles, tips, and coaching offers in “Blueprints for a Dream Life.” Edi Sowers works with women business owners who face the challenge of balancing their professional and personal priorities.

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Filed Under: Happiness Tagged With: Gratitude/appreciation, Happiness, self improvement, self help, Thanksgiving

November 5th, 2010 Gratitude

November 5, 2010 By Admin Leave a Comment

Silent gratitude isn’t very much use to anyone.
- Gertrude Stein

Filed Under: Daily Quotes Tagged With: daily quote, Gratitude/appreciation, self improvement

The Benefits of Gratitude

October 29, 2009 By Guest Contributor Leave a Comment

By Cheryl Healey –

“Without gratitude, there is suffering”. Think about that for a minute.

I recently read that quote from the Buddhist tradition, and it inspired my curiosity. In researching the topic of gratitude for this newsletter, I began with the definition of gratitude which is being thankful; warmly and deeply appreciative of kindness or benefits received.

Did you know that there is a branch of psychology called Positive Psychology? There are researchers and scientists at most major universities from California to Miami studying, researching and documenting the benefits of being positive which includes gratitude. According to the University of Pennsylvania, “Positive Psychology is the scientific study of the strengths and virtues that enable individuals and communities to thrive”.

Dr. Robert Emmons studies gratitude for a living as Professor of Psychology at the University of California at Davis, and is Editor-In-Chief of the Journal of Positive Psychology. His research studies have shown that a practice of gratitude over a period of weeks has a positive effect on hours of sleep and on time spent exercising, on more optimistic expectations for the coming week, and fewer reported physical symptoms, such as pain. Additionally, his team observed an increase in reported connectedness to other people and in the likelihood of helping another person deal with a personal problem.

Professor Emmons states that “most of the outcomes are self-reported, but there is an increasing emphasis on measuring objective data such as cortisol and stress levels, heart rate variability, and even brain activation patterns. The work of Richard Davidson is exemplary in that respect, showing how a mindfulness practice can rewire some activation patterns in the frontal lobes.”

You are now invited to join the cutting edge ranks of individuals who have already lowered their stress levels and improved the quality of their lives and incorporate one or more of the following gratitude practices into your day:

- Write in a Gratitude Journal (or notebook) every day. Note everything for which you are grateful for that day or something you forgot to write about on a previous day.

- Say thank you prayers upon waking, before sleeping, or in the shower or bath.

- At the dinner table with your family, partner, roommate or friend share that for which you are each grateful.

- Create a ritual with your spouse or significant other that just before falling asleep you share with each other what you found beautiful that day.

- Make up a practice of your own.

In the spirit of gratitude, thank you for caring enough about your well-being and those you love to create a daily gratitude practice from this day forward – if you don’t already have one. Please spread the word and tell others about the benefits of a daily gratitude practice. Enjoy being grateful!

Cheryl Healey is the creative and passionate Founder of The Gift of You coaching and training programs. As an Author, Life and Wellness Coach and Motivational Speaker, Cheryl is facilitating positive transformation for women, children and families. As an expert Behavior Modification Specialist, Cheryl has the tools needed to help you and your children create the life of your dreams. Visit http://www.thegiftofyou.com to learn more.

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Filed Under: Happiness, Self Esteem, Self Improvement Tagged With: appreciation, Gratitude/appreciation, savoring, Self Improvement

Every Day Should Be Thanksgiving

November 26, 2008 By Guest Contributor Leave a Comment

By Linda Hancock

Things have changed in the last few days!

The stores have put away their summer stock and are now decorated in fall’s traditional orange and brown. We see paper turkeys and wicker table centers representing the horn of plenty. Greeting cards offer best wishes mixed with thoughts of gratefulness for the season. Soon church altars will be laden with fruit, vegetables and other produce that represent completion of the growing season.

It’s Thanksgiving!

Often I think about stories of the original Pilgrims, dressed in their modest habits. They immigrated to this country and had to make a new start without all the modern conveniences we enjoy.

Our elementary school history books recount tales of bravery and tenacity. With limited tools, lack of social support and little chance of escape, the pioneers cleared land and prepared it for a crop. There weren’t any houses to purchase, so they had to build their own, with materials found in the environment.

There was no Welcome Wagon, electricity or plumbing to make things easy. Car dealerships were unheard of – vehicles consisted of a cart pulled by an animal.

The pilgrims couldn’t go to the mall to shop when they were bored or needed goods. They made their own clothing – and their own fun. It’s probably just as well because there wasn’t much money. In fact, commerce usually involved trade. A beaver pelt might be exchanged for groceries or chickens for bullets.

No spa! A bath might be in the cold water at the river. No ordering in for supper – unless you count occurrences when children brought home a bucket of berries which they had picked. No health care! Babies were delivered at home – by whoever was present! No divorce! There was no place to go and no way to survive on your own. No funeral packages! When someone died, – you dug a grave.

If the weather didn’t cooperate – there was no recourse. No crop insurance program or home protection packages.

It must have been scary – and lonely – and exhausting.

No wonder they were ready to celebrate when the work was done and there was a harvest to treasure.

Often I hear individuals who complain that they are tired, hungry or sick. How different our lives are from the pioneers. We merely take a sick day, stop at a walk-in Clinic to see the doctor and pick up food at a drive-through on our way home to bed.

Seems to me that we have plenty to be thankful for but need to remember to think about what we have rather than what we don’t have.

I hope that this Thanksgiving Day is more than merely a break from your regular activities. It should be a time to develop and enjoy an attitude of gratitude.

Dr. Linda Hancock is a Registered Psychologist and Registered Social Worker who has a private practice in Medicine Hat. She can be reached at 403-529-6877 or through email [mailto:]linda@drlindahancock.com

You are also invited to visit LindaHancockSpeaks.com

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Filed Under: Self Improvement Tagged With: Gratitude/appreciation, self help, Self Improvement, Thanksgiving

The Thanksgiving Secret

November 19, 2008 By Guest Contributor Leave a Comment

By Judy Davis -

What are you grateful for? Have you ever been asked that question?

The month of November is a time when we naturally think about all that we are thankful for in our lives. I know that we have a tradition on Thanksgiving Day to go around the table and tell everyone what we are grateful for in our lives, and for some of us, it is a difficult task.

Being grateful is so different from what many of us are exposed to every day. The media focuses on what is wrong in the world, which creates feelings of sadness and despair. Their programming highlights what isn’t working. On the contrary, living in a state of gratitude changes how we feel, and cultivates happiness. Focusing on what is positive and being thankful for it, melts away stress and frustration.

Gratitude is a positive emotion that plays a big part in each of our lives. Being grateful is about taking the time to be appreciative and thankful for all that is happening. As we create change, make choices and move forward, we are presented with challenges and lessons that impact us in a major way. Learning to focus on what we are grateful for awakens a positive energy that will transcend throughout your life, and help you to find joy in any given moment.

One way to kindle gratitude is to pay attention to what’s happening in our everyday lives. Too often we spend time thinking about what may have been, or what might happen, and we forget to live in the moment. By taking the time to recognize and be grateful for what is happening now, we shift our thoughts to all that is right and perfect.

So the next time you find yourself frustrated, under a lot of stress, or on the spot at Thanksgiving dinner, take a moment and reflect on something positive in your life. Spend the day noticing and being thankful for what occurs in your life. You may be surprised what you begin to attract, and how great you feel!

ReclaimU is having a “Thank-fest”. In gratitude for all of you who are in our circle we are giving away 5 three month memberships to the Phoenix Center. Visit http://www.ReclaimU.com/thankfest.html to tell what you are grateful for and enter the contest – Then tell a friend!

For tools to help you move forward, make a difference and transform your life, visit http://www.JudyDavisInc.com today!

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Filed Under: Happiness, Self Esteem Tagged With: Gratitude/appreciation, greatfulness, self help, Self Improvement, Thanksgiving

The Penetrating Effect of Gladness

August 4, 2008 By Guest Contributor Leave a Comment

By Steve Wickham

“What wisdom, what warning can prevail against gladness? There is no law so strong which a little gladness may not transgress.”
-Henry David Thoreau.

What a bolt of thunderous truth is this offering? Gladness penetrates. I received an email from my church just now and I read with gladness the gladness of a pastor seeing all this wonderful ministry of God around him. That’s what I read (between the lines) as he lifted one person after another up to the whole ‘e-congregation.’ The Spirit of God at work. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Emotional Health, Gratitude/appreciation, Happiness, Self Improvement Tagged With: gladness, Gratitude/appreciation, Happiness, well-being

I Choose to Be Happy and Grateful Daily

July 24, 2008 By Guest Contributor Leave a Comment

By Gary Madden http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Gary_Madden

I am happy and grateful today because…

Can you fill in the blanks?

Being happy and thankful are keys to finding true success in any endeavor and life in particular.

We can be “happy and grateful” when we understand three things: [Read more...]

Filed Under: Gratitude/appreciation, Happiness, Self Improvement Tagged With: Gratitude/appreciation, happiness is a choice, Self Improvement

Achieving and Sustaining Personal Happiness

June 5, 2008 By Guest Contributor Leave a Comment

By Gerry Hopman http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Gerry_Hopman

We live in a world that believes in postponing happiness, exemplified by the following statements:

I will be happy when I make $ 100,000 a year, I will be happy when I get my dream house, I will be happy when I have enough money to quit my job

Happiness isn’t associated with wealth and riches. In my travels to different parts of the world, I found that the happiest people were often the poorest. They were thankful for the little they had and were free of worries, stress and anxiety. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Happiness, Self Improvement Tagged With: Gratitude/appreciation, Happiness, wealth

Gratitude

February 2, 2008 By Guest Contributor Leave a Comment

By��Ellen Besso� http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Ellen_Besso

Gratitude is about living in the present moment. When we’re not noticing all the good that’s in our lives, we often keep striving to achieve more, be more, get more. Or sometimes we’re locked into the past, into what didn’t work for us then. Holding onto wounds and feeling angry or hurt by past events and people victimizes us and keeps us from the present. It takes away our power. Actually we take away our own power. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Gratitude/appreciation, Self Esteem, Self Improvement Tagged With: Forgiveness, Gratitude/appreciation

Thanksgiving: Gratitude and Happiness – 3 Levels

November 5th, 2010 Gratitude

The Benefits of Gratitude

Every Day Should Be Thanksgiving

The Thanksgiving Secret

The Penetrating Effect of Gladness

I Choose to Be Happy and Grateful Daily

Achieving and Sustaining Personal Happiness

Gratitude

Lipstick and The Leash

An Interview with Christopner “Divinity” Dines

News and Other New Stuff

Listen to Yvonne Perry’s interview with Gaetano Vivo today at 2:55 CDT

Someone You Should Know

Book Reviews

The Oneness Gospel: Birthing the Christ Consciousness and Divine Human in You. A Review

Alpha Chick: Five Steps for Moving from Pain to Power. A Review

Irene’s Articles

Cleaning out the clutter

Let’s put “Self” Back in Self Improvement