What are you grateful for today?

Negativism: where does it come from?

The frenzy of our daily lives

In the frenetic demands of our daily lives and the various images and stories disseminated by social and traditional media, it's not surprising that we have a certain tendency towards negativism and a narrative of scarcity where we have the perception of having many unmet needs. 

Perceived and real needs: a clearer picture

Don't get me wrong, I'm not suggesting that our needs are only perceived but not real. 

Far from it. We all have basic, well-founded needs. 

Rather, I suggest that when we take a step back to reflect on and acknowledge all that we already have, we may find a little more positive in our lives than we first thought. 

How can we change our narrative?

Neuroplasticity: giving ourselves the means to change our thoughts

Thanks to neuroplasticity, e.g. our brain's ability to create new connections and pathways in response to changes in our lives, we can take responsibility for our actions.

In this way, we can choose to reinforce our positive thoughts and emotions rather than our old, negative and unhelpful habits or thoughts. 

As a Buddha quote says, if " we are our thoughts ", then why not try exchanging our negative thoughts for positive ones to bring more positivism into our lives?

Finding the positive, one gratitude at a time

One way that has helped me shift my mindset to a more positive and less reactive state is a gratitude journal. 

Every day, I wrote down three things for which I felt gratitude. Just three. 

" Our brains are continually hacked - by the media and everything else around us. At the end of the day, write down three good things that happened to you. It's a way of hacking your brain in a positive way by drawing its attention to positive things that tend to go unnoticed. "

- Dr. Richie Davidson, Contemplative Neuroscientist, Director of the Center for Healthy Minds

As mentioned by Dr. Davidson above, when we focus on three positive moments in our day, we help our brain create new positive connections. 

A challenge that fluctuates daily

Some days, I could barely manage it... but then I remembered that being able to eat my fill and having a roof over my head that day were already two elements worthy of gratitude that aren't necessarily accessible to everyone. 

Some days it was a great conversation that made an impression on me, or a comforting hug, or an unexpected encounter, while other times it was a nice walk in the sun, a good workout or good food...

When I got down to it, I always ended up finding at least three things I was grateful for that day! 

Feeling gratitude in the present: a magical moment

Over time, I even began to be able to feel gratitude as the events unfolded (and not just in the evening when I was writing them in my journal). It was magical!

Now it's your turn

Your turn to have your say: what are you feeling grateful for today?

Need a helping hand?

If you feel that writing gratitudes is just another task in an already busy schedule, I offer individual coaching sessions where I help my clients find their own intrinsic motivation to achieve their goals through their own personalized journey. 

I invite you to take a free introductory session with me to find out how I can help you!