#232 Thanks! Thanks! And Thanks!

For everyone in the US celebrating today: Happy Thanksgiving!!

For everyone else: Happy Day of Thanks!! 😃

Let’s celebrate by recapping three great ways to boost your gratitude today.

First, we have our standard Gratitude Practice.

Remember: Science says that simply writing down five things you’re grateful for once a week can boost your happiness by as much as 25%!

(TWENTY-FIVE PERCENT! That’s kinda amazing.)

So… What are you grateful for?

Let’s take a moment and count the ways:

1. _________________________________________
2. _________________________________________
3. _________________________________________
4. _________________________________________
5. _________________________________________

(Nice!)

OK. Our second way to give Thanks: Grateful Flow.

We have our genius Tools friends Phil Stutz and Barry Michels to thank for this one. (Thanks, guys!)

Phil and Barry tell us that Optimizing isn’t some abstract thing you do when you’re feeling inspired, it’s all about having a tool you can use RIGHT IN THE MOMENT when you really need it.

Grateful flow is best used any time you’re feeling anxious or stressed or overwhelmed or depressed or anything like that. When we’re feeling that way, they say it’s kinda like a dark cloud is rolling in over our lives. In those moments, Step 1 is to notice the ick rolling in and Step 2 is to turn on your Grateful Flow.

Specifically, IN THAT MOMENT of overwhelm, think about all the little things in your life that are awesome. It can be something as simple as appreciating the computer you’re typing on or the air conditioner that’s keeping you cool.

We just want to swap our focus on the ick for a focus on the awesome. Remember: It’s LITERALLY impossible to be simultaneously both grateful and icky. (Don’t believe me? Test it!)

So, we have Gratitude and Grateful Flow.

Our third way to give Thanks?

In Barbara Fredrickson’s words: “Gratitude’s generous cousin”: Celebratory Love. Don’t just appreciate all that’s awesome about your life. Get fired up about how other people around you are rockin’ it!

Actively look for things to celebrate in others. Science says: That’s wise.

For now: Think of a loved one (or two or three). What’s awesome about them? CELEBRATE THAT!

Gratitude. Grateful Flow. Celebratory Love.

They’re fantastic Optimizing practices for every day of the year and especially for today.

And…

I’m grateful for YOU. Thank you for your support. I’m honored to be a part of your life and couldn’t do what I do without YOU.

Thanks! Thanks! And Thanks!