In this week’s Success Newsletter, I would like to talk about the power of gratitude.
First a quick update:
Listen to my controversial radio interview with Danny Wright –Wright all Night about Oprah and the attack on free expression at Radio-Interviews and soon Danny and I will be presenting a series about How to Ease Holiday Stress
Ellen DeGeneres, Ashley Olsen et al -read my perspectives on celebrity behavior in The New York Observer.
Read my new article “The Secret to get what you truly deserve” for Date.com and Matchmaker.com’s weekly newsletter
Look for me in the December issue of Cosmopolitan magazine
Now let’s talk about the power of gratitude.
The dictionary defines being grateful as “warmly or deeply appreciative of kindness or benefits received; thankful, pleasing to the mind or senses; agreeable or welcome; refreshing.”
One of the points easily missed here is that gratitude is for things received. One of the key reasons most of us find it so difficult to express thanks for what we have is because we are often in an emotional state of entitlement and we forget that we do not truly have a right to anything. In other words, many of us feel the world owes us something and when we view life from that point of view, we end up miserable because we will always be focusing on what we don’t have and we will never have an appreciation for what we presently do have.
When we feel we are entitled to things (even kindness or benefits) then it is impossible for us to enjoy what is given to us because we receive them with the bitter attitude: “Well, that’s what you should have done anyway…You owe that to me…that’s your duty…I worked for that…I deserve it…that’s my right…etc.” I concede that in some cases we may need to speak up for ourselves and claim what is ours. However, if we choose to view life from the perspective that everything is a gift, then we will see everything as benefits and kindness. We will value greatly everything that is given to us. When we feel that we are entitled to things, we always feel that there is never enough. We will never be satisfied.
One of the best examples for which to express daily gratitude is our health. How many of us take for granted our body, its functions, its purpose and its beauty? How many of us can say that we say thanks daily for our health, that our body is functioning well? Imagine awaking each day and pronouncing, “I am grateful for my health, my body, my vigor, my ability to hear, speak, taste, touch, and see.” And then add thankfulness for all that you can hear, the words you can speak, the things you can taste and touch and for all around you that you can see.
Every day, I begin my day by expressing gratitude for everything I have and I am. Have you sat down to list all the things in your life for which you can be thankful?
You don’t have to wait to be a millionaire living in you dream house on the beach to express appreciation. You can count your blessings now and they can be small or large: the people in your life who love and support you, your friends, job, home, car, food, etc. Maybe your car, job, house or even the clothes you are wearing are not exactly what you want and you have bigger dreams but if you begin by saying thank you now for all that you have and are, it will inspire you to pursue your dreams and you will do so with greater vigor, enthusiasm and passion. You will also simply feel better and happier!
And if you choose to come from gratitude this Thanksgiving, then you will find it easier and more enjoyable to be around the people that drive you nuts: your family. Enjoy them now because you will miss them when they are gone – even the ones with whom you argued so much! One final humble tip: when you notice the people around you being rude, angry, stubborn, defiant, remember that most likely they are hurting deep inside. For just a moment, think about why they might be in such pain – maybe they don’t like their life right now or even themselves, maybe they feel alone, lonely, rejected or unloved. Of course, their pain, hurt and insecurities do not justify them taking it out on you but it might help you to see it’s not about you and thus instead of responding the same way to them, you can express compassion and understanding. It will make the day more enjoyable. If all else fails, hang out with the youngest children – they most likely will be smiling, laughing and playing…
Remember to check out my Blog on my website to read my past Success Newsletters, post your comments and take a few exciting quizzes. If you have received this newsletter as a forward and would like to receive all of my newsletters please enter your email address on the home page.
I wish you the best and remind you “Believe in yourself -You deserve the best!”
Patrick Wanis
Celebrity Life Coach, Human Behavior & Relationship Expert & Clinical Hypnotherapist
www.patrickwanis.com
Anointed “The Woman Expert” by WGN Chicago, Patrick Wanis PhD is a renowned Celebrity Life Coach, Human Behavior & Relationship Expert who developed SRTT therapy (Subconscious Rapid Transformation Technique) and is teaching it to other practitioners. Wanis’ clientele ranges from celebrities and CEOs to housewives and teenagers. CNN, BBC, FOX News, MSNBC & major news outlets worldwide consult Wanis for his expert insights and analysis on sexuality, human behavior and women’s issues. Wanis is the first person ever to do hypnotherapy on national TV – on the Montel Williams show.