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Living In Gratitude: Living Authentically

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Be a first rate version of yourself, not a second rate version of someone else. ~Judy Garland

We tend to base our idea of who we are on our everyday roles. We alter who we are based on our role as parent, spouse, friend, sibling as well as what we do in our jobs or what professional qualifications we possess. We may even change our personas in different social situations, acting out of character because we think we have to do so to fit it. Fundamentally changing who we are to fit our various roles hinders our ability to truly be our authentic selves at the deepest level.

Research suggests that authentic people are well-liked and benefit from social support and other positive outcomes associated with experiencing close relationships.

Being genuine allows us to always be a first-rate version of ourselves. At the same time, it is important to not hide behind a veil of authenticity as an excuse to avoid uncomfortable situations.   There are always instances when we need to explore outside our comfort zone in order to learn and grow both personally and professionally. It is possible to be both authentic while evolving our personal style and identity. Read more

Living In Gratitude: 10 Traits of Emotionally Strong People

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Emotional strength tends to be misconstrued as a lack of feeling. Many believe emotions are the opposite of reason and emotional strength is simply a form of numbness that often presents itself to others as superiority and unwavering toughness.

In reality, emotional strength has little to do with toughness and quite a bit to do with resilience, two very different things.  Thanks to the development of positive psychology, one thing has become clear: it is not how little chaos we experience in life, but how we respond to it, that counts.

Below are 10 traits of emotionally strong people:

1. They display peace more than power.

Genuinely strong people often do not exhibit dominance, aggressiveness or power. They understand that real power is in being your own source of control rather than controlling others. Peace is the most unwavering, unshakable, resilient strength you can possibly possess.

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Living In Gratitude: Learning From Mistakes

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Each experience is a stepping-stone in life, including any so-called mistakes. Love yourself for all your mistakes, they have been very valuable to you. They have taught you many things, it is the way you learn. ~Louise L Hay

We’ve been taught to be disappointed, be ashamed or lose confidence in ourselves when we make a mistake. Because of this, many of us do everything in our power to avoid making mistake. This includes not taking risks that could lead to (perceived) failure, going against the grain, thinking outside the box and doing things outside of our comfort zones.

But throughout life, we are in a constant state of change and learning. Each mistake we make is a stepping stone along our life’s journey. Mistakes enable us to learn and grow, to master skills, to become accomplished at many things, learn become more aware about what we want and what we don’t. If we use those ‘errors’ as lessons rather than deterrents to our personal progress, we can achieve amazing things. Read more

Living In Gratitude: Unforgettable Thank You Notes

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I keep all of my letters, postcards, and thank you notes. I’ll keep them forever! ~Jane Levy

For the most part, technology is incredibly beneficial. It enables us to do a lot more in less time, allowing us to be more efficient and effective. But there are drawbacks. Faster communication has reduced the level of personal connection in daily interactions, especially when it comes to expressing our gratitude.  Instead of a handwritten note, most of us tend to send a quick text or email. But written thank you notes are a small touch that has the potential to leave a lasting impression that make people feel very special.

Handwritten notes may be sent for any occasion after a meeting with an important customer or client, when you receive a gift, or when you’re invited to an event. To ensure a positive response, keep your thank-you notes short, simple, and meaningful.

Here are 3 more tips to keep in mind to write thoughtful thank you notes.

Invest in branded stationery

Order stationery custom-made especially for you rather than purchasing a pack of thank-you cards from the store. The design and style of the card should reflect your personality or personal brand (if using for business thank you notes). It will also be more enjoyable to you, the writer, to use beautiful, personalized stationery. Read more

Living In Gratitude: Slow Down

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Sustained busyness is taking a toll on the quality of our lives and our relationships.

Free time.

Two words that most people, including children, are unfamiliar with and wish they had more of.

Our free time has been filled with work, errands, chores, extracurricular activities, social obligations, classes, projects…the list goes on. And to top it off, we are always connected. Thanks to technology, we are reachable at all hours, wherever we are, whatever we’re doing. All of these things can lead to feeling overwhelmed, stressed and irritable.

Being ‘on‘ all of the time, always rushing from one must-do task to another negatively affects our health and wellbeing along with our productivity, creativity and ability to focus. Our relationships can also suffer as we don’t have time to communicate and connect. The good news is, you can stop the ‘hamster on a wheel‘ mentality and slow down without falling behind.  Read more

Living In Gratitude: At the End of the Day

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At the end of the day, remember all the positive things that happened. Smile. Feel the comfort of your bed. Have sweet dreams.

In each of our lives, every day brings a variety of occurrences and emotions. Some are challenging, annoying and inconvenient while others are sweet, refreshing, empowering and enjoyable.

As you end each day, this is the perfect opportunity to reflect and wipe the slate clean. Embrace the things that made you smile, the ‘feel good’ things happened. Let go of those occurrences that evoke stress, irritation or dissatisfaction.  Read more

Living In Gratitude: Celebrate Everything!

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Embrace life with enthusiasm.

When we make a commitment to mindfully live in this manner, we find that there is a lot to celebrate. In fact, there is something to celebrate in everything, in every day, big, small or in between.

Little kids are overjoyed by the simplest, smallest things. It doesn’t take much to give them immeasurable joy. Splashing in a pool, playing on a sandy beach, rolling in the grass, unwrapping a gift, eating their favorite foods. The young do things with unabashed gusto. They sink their teeth into each experience and live in the moment. They celebrate everything. (Well, maybe not absolutely everything but you get the picture.)

The same goes for dogs. They are thrilled to see you each and every time you come home, love to play and snuggle, eat and even sleep with gusto. Like children, dogs embrace life with heartfelt enthusiasm. Read more

Living In Gratitude: The Right Path is Not Always Easy

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Sometimes the right path is not always the easiest one. ~Grandmother Willow (Pocahontas)

Life presents us with many choices and opportunities, some that are simple and straightforward and others that are anything but.

There are times when the decision on which path to take is obvious. And there are times when we are faced with embarking down a road that is fraught with difficulty and maybe even evokes fear and insecurity, yet we know that it is the right one to take.

Seemingly easy ‘shortcuts’ can derail us. They steer us away from our true selves and our understanding of what’s right and wrong by offering a tempting way to avoid the unpleasant. Read more

Living In Gratitude: Strive To Be Of Value

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Strive not to be a success but rather to be of value. ~ Albert Einstein

In Western society, much of what defines a person – at least in their chosen ‘career’ – is their success. And this success usually revolves around the monetary or material as well as ‘one ups-manship‘, that unspoken concept of ‘keeping up with the Joneses’.

We are taught to strive for success rather than to be of value.
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Living In Gratitude: Our Greatest Weapon Against Stress

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…is our ability to choose one thought over another. ~William James

Stress can affect both our body and mind, impacting our overall health and wellbeing. We all encounter stressors in our lives but how we choose to manage stress is an important piece of the puzzle.

Identifying the cause of our stress and working to positively address a solution can make an enormous difference in our ability to reduce negative affects.

When in a stressful situation, we feel under enormous pressure and tend to tense up, become anxious, frustrated and even angry. Our thoughts often become ‘cannots‘ rather than ‘can dos‘, resulting in a paralysis of sorts where we are unable to work toward a resolution. Teaching ourselves how to think of positive outcomes allows us to cope and manage stress, thus reducing its impact and often leading us to solutions. Read more