Gift of Today

Hi!
I was driving my son to summer camp today and he said “I am dreaming so much about all the hiking we get to do this summer and all the great things we have coming up. And then I realized that today I get to hike too. Maybe instead of dreaming about all the hikes I’m doing later, I should just appreciate what I get to do today.” Is that just a brilliant lesson, or what? So I said “How about you get to do both? It’s completely wonderful to be excited about what is to come. AND, it’s important to be mindful and present of what’s happening now.” Have you seen the movie, Kung Fu Panda? I’m reminded of a quote from Master Oogway… “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, and today is a gift… that’s why they call it present”.

I don’t think any of us would argue that gratitude and appreciation are key ingredients to living a fulfilling life. Whether you are giving or receiving thanks, we know it improves performance, health, ability to manage change, and builds better relationships. Simon Synek talks about the selfless “good” chemicals like serotonin and oxytocin which are produced in giving and receiving thanks that produce “magic.. company performance far exceeding what individuals working only toward their specific goals can achieve.”

So on this day about 6 months away from Thanksgiving, let’s remember to make gratitude, giving thanks, and appreciation a daily practice. Here are a few ideas to get you started…

• What are you grateful for in the past, future, and present?
• Keep a daily gratitude journal or blessings basket
• Write a thank you note
• Acknowledge someone for their gifts and what they are doing to make the world a better place.

And here are just a few other resources for you to dig deeper into gratitude.

• The Gratitude Essay , by Mike Perry, author of Roughneck Grace
• In Praise of Gratitude , from the Harvard Medical School
• The Grateful Brain , the Neuroscience of Giving Thanks, article from Psychology Today
• Gratitude: A Deeper Appreciation , article from the Positive Psychology Program

I am incredibly grateful for my wonderful husband, my beautiful children, my dear family and friends. I’m grateful for my inspiring clients and business colleagues and the work I get to do in this world. I’m grateful for my health, my good fortune, and all the lessons I am learning from taking risks and when things don’t go perfectly as planned. In this moment, I’m grateful for summer and eating out of my garden. I’m grateful for the beautiful Colorado Rockies that are my home. And… oh… just now there is a gorgeous goldfinch that is flying around outside my window and some lovely humming birds too. Life is Good!

I know you are a grateful person! And sometimes life gets so busy and hectic that it’s hard to appreciate our current experience and see it for the gifts. If you (or someone you know) are struggling in bringing more positivity and gratitude into your life and want some coaching, please schedule some time with me here. I’m happy to give you some strategies and tips. And I currently have a few spots open in my coaching practice.

Barb