Too often in times like this, fear, anxiety, and worry are taking over. Fear is normal and everyone is in the same boat. When things feel chaotic and out of control, the best thing we can do is take the time to focus on the positive. In 2005, I learned about the Gratitude Process in a personal development program with Alan Walter and Blair Singer. I was taught how to do a daily gratitude practice that has changed how I start and finish my days. It is effective, requires little time and no money. It will help you to focus on being grateful for what you do have in your life, which often makes you happier and more optimistic. It’s important to be putting positive energy on what we want versus the negative energy of fear on what we don’t want. Gratitude reduces anxiety.
Gratitude improves relationships. Think about the people you know and care about. How do you feel about them? Have you told them lately? During this time of social distancing, I know that I miss the people I can’t see or hug. My daughter is a nurse practitioner who is seeing patients so we are practicing social distancing with her as well to keep our family safe. Think about all the people in the world on the front line putting their lives at risk to help us. Every day while doing my gratitude practice they are at the top of my list for their willingness to serve, their actions and their talents. Gratitude teaches us to be grateful for our situation, even if we don’t like everything about it. Gratitude is a daily reminder of what is important in your life and it reminds you to thank others.
When we take a few minutes out of our day to think about things we are grateful for and expand on them, it raises our energy level and puts us in a more confident and productive frame of mind. Here is how I do my daily practice:
At the beginning of each day ask yourself:
• Set an outcome for your day.
• What am I willing to give others today?
• What 10 things do I value that I am grateful for now?
• What do I value that another does for me that I am grateful for right now?
• What am I happy about right now?
At the end of each day ask yourself:
• How well did I do on accomplishing my goal for today?
• What have I done well, increased in value or got better at today?
• If I wanted to be happier – what additional things would I be happy about?
The present moment is what we can focus on. When you can learn to appreciate and accept the present moment for what it is, you realize the beauty that is all around you. If you are outside, take a look at the gardens that are budding now that Spring has arrived, listen to the birds singing or just appreciate the sun shining down on you. While we are all staying at home as much as possible, now is the time to go back to the old way of communicating with a personal phone call to friends and family to catch up. Be safe and stay healthy and remember, "Persistence Pays" if we all do our part to stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus. We all have an important part to play as individuals during this crisis and our community will be safer if we all do our part. We need to stay centered to our core values.
If you would like a free copy of my “An Attitude for Gratitude” booklet, please email me at lraudnask@cogeco.ca.
- Lori Raudnask is a Stoney Creek resident, motivational speaker and author of Persistence Pays.
Too often in times like this, fear, anxiety, and worry are taking over. Fear is normal and everyone is in the same boat. When things feel chaotic and out of control, the best thing we can do is take the time to focus on the positive. In 2005, I learned about the Gratitude Process in a personal development program with Alan Walter and Blair Singer. I was taught how to do a daily gratitude practice that has changed how I start and finish my days. It is effective, requires little time and no money. It will help you to focus on being grateful for what you do have in your life, which often makes you happier and more optimistic. It’s important to be putting positive energy on what we want versus the negative energy of fear on what we don’t want. Gratitude reduces anxiety.
Gratitude improves relationships. Think about the people you know and care about. How do you feel about them? Have you told them lately? During this time of social distancing, I know that I miss the people I can’t see or hug. My daughter is a nurse practitioner who is seeing patients so we are practicing social distancing with her as well to keep our family safe. Think about all the people in the world on the front line putting their lives at risk to help us. Every day while doing my gratitude practice they are at the top of my list for their willingness to serve, their actions and their talents. Gratitude teaches us to be grateful for our situation, even if we don’t like everything about it. Gratitude is a daily reminder of what is important in your life and it reminds you to thank others.
When we take a few minutes out of our day to think about things we are grateful for and expand on them, it raises our energy level and puts us in a more confident and productive frame of mind. Here is how I do my daily practice:
At the beginning of each day ask yourself:
• Set an outcome for your day.
• What am I willing to give others today?
• What 10 things do I value that I am grateful for now?
• What do I value that another does for me that I am grateful for right now?
• What am I happy about right now?
At the end of each day ask yourself:
• How well did I do on accomplishing my goal for today?
• What have I done well, increased in value or got better at today?
• If I wanted to be happier – what additional things would I be happy about?
The present moment is what we can focus on. When you can learn to appreciate and accept the present moment for what it is, you realize the beauty that is all around you. If you are outside, take a look at the gardens that are budding now that Spring has arrived, listen to the birds singing or just appreciate the sun shining down on you. While we are all staying at home as much as possible, now is the time to go back to the old way of communicating with a personal phone call to friends and family to catch up. Be safe and stay healthy and remember, "Persistence Pays" if we all do our part to stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus. We all have an important part to play as individuals during this crisis and our community will be safer if we all do our part. We need to stay centered to our core values.
If you would like a free copy of my “An Attitude for Gratitude” booklet, please email me at lraudnask@cogeco.ca.
- Lori Raudnask is a Stoney Creek resident, motivational speaker and author of Persistence Pays.
Too often in times like this, fear, anxiety, and worry are taking over. Fear is normal and everyone is in the same boat. When things feel chaotic and out of control, the best thing we can do is take the time to focus on the positive. In 2005, I learned about the Gratitude Process in a personal development program with Alan Walter and Blair Singer. I was taught how to do a daily gratitude practice that has changed how I start and finish my days. It is effective, requires little time and no money. It will help you to focus on being grateful for what you do have in your life, which often makes you happier and more optimistic. It’s important to be putting positive energy on what we want versus the negative energy of fear on what we don’t want. Gratitude reduces anxiety.
Gratitude improves relationships. Think about the people you know and care about. How do you feel about them? Have you told them lately? During this time of social distancing, I know that I miss the people I can’t see or hug. My daughter is a nurse practitioner who is seeing patients so we are practicing social distancing with her as well to keep our family safe. Think about all the people in the world on the front line putting their lives at risk to help us. Every day while doing my gratitude practice they are at the top of my list for their willingness to serve, their actions and their talents. Gratitude teaches us to be grateful for our situation, even if we don’t like everything about it. Gratitude is a daily reminder of what is important in your life and it reminds you to thank others.
When we take a few minutes out of our day to think about things we are grateful for and expand on them, it raises our energy level and puts us in a more confident and productive frame of mind. Here is how I do my daily practice:
At the beginning of each day ask yourself:
• Set an outcome for your day.
• What am I willing to give others today?
• What 10 things do I value that I am grateful for now?
• What do I value that another does for me that I am grateful for right now?
• What am I happy about right now?
At the end of each day ask yourself:
• How well did I do on accomplishing my goal for today?
• What have I done well, increased in value or got better at today?
• If I wanted to be happier – what additional things would I be happy about?
The present moment is what we can focus on. When you can learn to appreciate and accept the present moment for what it is, you realize the beauty that is all around you. If you are outside, take a look at the gardens that are budding now that Spring has arrived, listen to the birds singing or just appreciate the sun shining down on you. While we are all staying at home as much as possible, now is the time to go back to the old way of communicating with a personal phone call to friends and family to catch up. Be safe and stay healthy and remember, "Persistence Pays" if we all do our part to stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus. We all have an important part to play as individuals during this crisis and our community will be safer if we all do our part. We need to stay centered to our core values.
If you would like a free copy of my “An Attitude for Gratitude” booklet, please email me at lraudnask@cogeco.ca.
- Lori Raudnask is a Stoney Creek resident, motivational speaker and author of Persistence Pays.