 If having a happier life is what you’re after, then this is the article for you. Two of the best known ways to increase happiness in our everyday lives are by focusing on hope and gratitude and really harnessing the positives they offer!
To be able to look forward into the future with positive thoughts is extremely powerful, and it is said that “nothing comes, but from our imagination.” When we are able to look forward and get a glimpse of how life can be, we unconsciously begin to reshape our world to that image.
Without it we are simply on the roundabout of life, not knowing when, where or how to get off.
Here are some ideas to bring back the hope:
 Get a clear picture of where you want to go, the things you’d like to achieve and who you’d like to be. Keep that picture close so you can access it at any time.
When times become a little challenging, take some time out to think about that picture, it will be hard to concentrate, but, trust me, it’s exactly the stress relief you will need!
Create a dream board. Cut out all the things in life you’re aspiring to, things you’d love to have, or simply what you’d love to do. You’ll notice our dream board below is filled up with adventure, travel, animals, and generally lots of fun things. (Yes, there even is a photo of a small child, Mum will be happy!) Create one of your own, and allow it to inspire you. This board lives on our bedroom wall, so each morning as I get ready for work I can think about all the amazing things I want to experience in my life. It fills me with hope for the future, and also gratitude for what I have.
Every morning I start my day focusing on the things that are wonderful in my life. I bring the emotion of gratitude into my life each morning and it helps me realize how fortunate we are to live in such an amazing country, how brilliant it is that birds can fly and fish can swim, how wonderful that my legs are able to carry me wherever I may choose to go! Life is truly amazing and by harnessing an attitude of gratitude each day we can maximize the positive emotions in our life and minimize the negatives.
I often explain it to clients as creating two lists, if we start with a massive positive list of 40-60 things; we are so far in front when we face one challenge. It allows us to put things back into perspective, when we’ve noticed how great it is to be able to walk today, (along with 50 other things like it) and a client phones about a late job, it really gives us a whole new outlook to move forward with. (I’m also going to guess that the client hasn’t done their gratitude exercise that morning! ;-)
So here are a few tips to bring gratitude into your day:
Start a gratitude routine. Whether you simply think about what you’re grateful for, or whether you actually begin a gratitude journal, bring it into your day somehow. You will be simply amazed at the difference it makes. Aim for 40-60 things each day, it sounds like a lot, but once you get started you’ll be amazed how easy it is and how many wonderful things there are in your life. Here is an example of some of the things I’m grateful for right now.
| My husband, Sean | Contact lenses & my sight | Meeting new people | | Wonderful parents | Sand to walk on | Surfing & Surfers
| | Supportive friends | My arms to hold things | The clothes I’m wearing | | A house to live in | Exercise, and a heart that works | My phone | | Books to read/ learn from | The beach near by | Wonderful photographs | | Opportunities to travel | Bush walking & national parks | A lounge to relax in | | A fun dog & playful kitten | Paper to print on | My ambitions | | Computers to make life easier & the Internet to communicate | The person who picked the tea I’m drinking | Beautiful trees, grass, gardens and flowers
| | Clean water to drink | Schools to help us learn | Fresh food |
 Begin noticing those around you that are less fortunate, we often have a habit of only comparing ourselves with those that have more, or are more fortunate. That’s a sure fire way to create the emotions of depression, guilt and regret. Best avoided at all costs! By noticing others we will also empower ourselves to help make a difference.
Teach your children, friends and parents the art of gratitude, and I really do believe it’s an art. You must take your time to truly experience the emotions of gratitude and hope, like admiring a beautiful picture, or sipping a magnificent wine. The more people you share this ‘hope & gratitude’ concept with the more chance we have of changing the world!
If you like what I’m writing or would like to give me some feedback, I’d love to hear from you. Shoot me an email at:
jodie@advancedcoachingsolutions.com.au
If you’re really ready to step up and start living life and need a little assistance to get started, please give me a call on 0409 224 303 and we can work on it together.
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