Gratitude!
Think for just a moment of all the things that require practice: grammar, arithmetic, cooking, and even the guitar.
Practice is probably something you think you’re done with when you leave school or give up music lessons. But, have you ever thought of practicing the fine art of gratitude?
The simplicity of gratitude and the powerful effect it has on our lives is unequaled by any other practice of its kind.
There’s a special kind of magic in gratitude for it raises our consciousness, recharges our energy, enhances our self-worth, and strengthens our spirit. Gratitude most certainly counts.
It’s quite possible to attain great wealth, the best education, and an exceptional quality of life and still be unhappy. This occurs when people live with an absence of gratitude.
Success is a process that includes both peaks and valleys, but the one constant in a truly successful life is gratitude.
A successful life requires ongoing growth, and gratitude ensures growth. Gratitude heightens awareness and expands your interaction with the world.
Once gratitude becomes part of your nature you begin to see the connections between your success and creature comforts, and the talents and contributions of others.
Consider the following:
The farmer plants, waters, fertilizes and harvests the tomatoes you enjoy.
The truck driver delivers the food to the market that will soon feed your family.
The baker kneads and bakes the bread for the sandwich you’ll eat for lunch.
The engineer and architect design the bridge that allows you to get to work.
The furniture maker’s handiwork creates the furniture in your living room.
The plumber fixes your leak, clears your drain and plunges your toilet.
The teacher educates and inspires your children to be the best they can be.
The customer provides the support that enables everyone to receive wages.
The performer engages the imagination and entertains your senses.
The seamstress sews the beautiful clothes that make you look great.
The physician and nurse help to bring your beautiful baby into the world.
Pause for a moment and begin to think of the connections between people and you will immediately understand how important a role gratitude plays in the creation of a happy, productive life.
We live in a world where we have much to be grateful for if we would just stop and look around.
It’s quite humbling to think of all the roles that complete strangers play in our daily existence. The sheer ingenuity and effort required of others is one of the most compelling reasons why we must make gratitude a daily practice.
Humility is a virtue integral to gratitude as we cannot recognize the need for gratitude without it.
10 Tips to Improving Self-Esteem
Low self-esteem can lead to various problems in your career, relationships and personal life.
Here are 10 helpful tips on how one can boost his self-esteem.
People should remember that everyone is unique and beauty is to be found in every human being. Yes, other people can be better in doing certain things but this fact shouldn't hinder people from being the best that they can be.
Accepting yourself is different from appreciating yourself. Self-acceptance is a prerequisite to self-appreciation but the latter must always be present. You might accept yourself under a pessimistic light and this is not very healthy. "I accept that I cannot do the things that I really want to do because I am weak" is a sample statement which depicts an unhealthy self-acceptance.
3. Refrain from comparing
Low self-esteem can be brought by the environment. Again, this can be traced to the lack of self-acceptance. Everybody is different and you have qualities that no other person has. A general sense of self-worth should be built without comparing yourself to other people.
Nobody's perfect. Making a mistake is definitely normal and people should start accepting this fact. An inner voice which reverberates inside their heads tells them that there is no hope. This should not be the case and having control over the inner voices can be the solution for this problem. Cut yourself some slack, you've done your best and that's what's important.
5. Befriend positive people
Having friends who are positive towards dealing with life's challenges can influence someone into seeing life in the same light and eventually build self-esteem.
6. Remind yourself of the positive things about you
Again, there is beauty in everyone. Remember all the things that you like about yourself and the good things which you have done and make a list of the most striking ones. This will help in self-appreciation and definitely give you something to smile about.
Buying books, CDs and other materials about building self-esteem wouldn't hurt, would it? These materials can definitely provide some informative ways on how to deal with low self-esteem. However, buying these materials would be useless if the lessons which they give aren't applied in real life.
8. Engage in fun activities
Having fun once in a while releases stress, takes the negative ideas out of your head and leaves space for positive thoughts to fill in. Having fun makes you feel happy about yourself.
Having fun can be done privately but nothing beats fun with friends. Friends are usually a part of the primary support group of a person and can provide much needed conversations for a down-and-out person.
When all else fail, seek professional help from a psychologist or a Personal Life Coach.
There's nothing wrong with taking care of yourself since low self-esteem can lead to more serious problems.
Having low self-esteem can be solved with the right tools and the right attitude. Loving yourself is the ultimate way which leads to a healthy and a better 'you'.
What is the right way to look at the problems in your life? Should you get worried about them? Should you complain and condemn them in the hope that they'll go away? If you want to be agitated and stressed for the rest of your life, then maybe you could.
Or should you accept problems as a part of the 'tide of life' and go wearily about your day feeling burdened and miserable? If you want to be depressed all the time, then perhaps you should.
If neither of those ways of thinking appeals to you, here is another idea for you: whenever you are faced by a problem large or small, then look at it as personal challenge. Decide to adopt the 'Bring It On' attitude.
The 'Bring It On' attitude says
- Life isn't for wimps!
- Life is about earning your stripes
- Every challenge or problem is a chance to grow
- What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger
Each time life serves up a tough situation, you have to face it squarely and say to yourself, "Bring It On!" This may sound like a peculiar way to face your problems, but it is guaranteed to boost your chances of success. Saying these words over and over will trigger the positive, proactive, constructive thinking that you require to solve your problems and challenges. It stirs up the courage and power that is dormant inside of you.
Only you can decide what reaction you have to the events of your life. You choose if you see something as an opportunity to show your true colours, or a sign that you should just give up.
Each time you feel overwhelmed it's easy to feel like giving up, and retreating.
But the 'Bring It On1 attitude makes you feel better about your situation. Try it for yourself next time you are starting feel sorry for yourself. Straighten your shoulders, smile to yourself and say...
"Bring it On!"
