Motivation Monday: Gratitude It’s What For Dinner
How to be Happy – Slap PCOS in the face with gratitude
If you learn any one thing from me on your journey to wherever you may need a little help going 🙂  —  I hope you remember to do this one simple thing – practice being gratitude every. single. day. From over a decade of experience working with women with PCOS – I have often seen more frustration and sadness than happiness most day.
But please remember no matter how bad it may seem — there is always something to be grateful for. There is always something to smile about. Please do not let a single day go by without counting your blessings and appreciating all the wonderful things in your life. By fostering an attitude of gratitude you will stay grounded to the good and find that you have no time left for the bad.
People spend so much time complaining about the things they don’t have focusing on the things that they want or feel like they should have. This leaves almost is no time left to appreciate what they already have.
Why gratitude is SOOOO important, especially for women with PCOS
A while back I read a fantastic article in the magazine Inc. In this well-written article, Elliot James talks about the power of gratitude. He compares gratitude to the likes of an emotional muscle that one can and should flex everyday. He makes a very profound statement that I could not agree with more:
Spot on! People who are grateful not only seek out more successes but they draw more successes into their lives.
Just think about it for a moment. When you are grateful, the more others enjoy being around you. It’s kind of like when you sparkle, like you all do – everyone wants to be your friend. Your appreciation supports those around you and let’s them know they are accepted. By expressing your gratitude you allow these folks to see the positive elements inherent in daily life. This prompts them to feel more hopeful about the possibility of future success.
In my world clients (and potential clients) love to feel that you are grateful for their business. This creates strong bonds of loyalty and mutual support. One of the ways I let my clients is know I am appreciative is when they send me a referral. Each client who is gracious enough to refer someone to me receives either Trader Joes or Whole Foods. This is not something that is noted anywhere in my literature. However, it is something I feel EXTREMELY strongly about. Word of mouth referral are truly what keeps me doing what I am doing!
By expressing my gratitude it doesn’t only acknowledge the person’s action. It recognizes the actual person. In doing so, I set a winning tone and one in that is mutually inclusive for everyone involved.
Another example of gratitude is something I experienced when I worked at the Nutrition Clinic at Yale. We all know employees are more committed and productive when they know that you are thankful to have them on your team. I can tell you for a fact, this was one of the best things about working in the Nutrition Clinic. It truly felt valuable and that my services were not only appreciated by the patients, but also by the management. And I can honestly say that had that not been the case if I hadn’t stayed around as long as I did. It really made all the difference for me and is something I will never forget.
Just like learning to not take everything personally takes some time to master; so does learning the art of gratitude. However, the more you flex and use that emotional muscle; the more it will strengthen and grow. And after all, who does not want big guns?
Health and happiness: How I practice gratitude
One of the things I find extremely helpful in my own life is to set aside two separate times a day to practice gratitude. When I worked at Yale, this was easy! For the whole ride in rather than listening to the radio, I would go through a whole list of things in my mind I was grateful for. Now that I do not spend that much time in my car, I instead have a little notebook called my “Gratitude journal.” Each morning I write down 10 things I am grateful and appreciative for. I then revisit this list right before I go to bed. This practice starts and ends my day on a positive note. It really makes me recognize just how amazing and blessed I really am. It also keeps me from taking things for granted which is sometimes so easy to do.
As you start to practice gratitude (and I really, really, really hope you will!) you will notice, over time, a real change in the whole trajectory of your life. You may find that your efforts to create the career and life you want are increasingly successful. You’ll begin to have a practical experience of the positive impact of approaching your life with a focus on gratitude. Which will give you even more to be grateful about.
And one of the most marvelous things about gratitude – it has no upper limit. You can be as grateful as you want to be. Develop an attitude of gratitude and you will have more things to be grateful about tomorrow! And what’s a better time to start than today?
I would love to know despite all you have been through with this diagnosis of PCOS what you are grateful for ?!? I know you can think of something. Give me the 411 on your gratefulness.
