Are You Living Your Life With the "Attitude of Gratitude?"

I'm going to start this article by asking you a very simple question...what was the first thought you had when you woke up this morning? I've heard the following responses when asked that question during my Seminars and Workshops...

"where's the snooze button?"

"do I really have to get up?"

"not another day of work!"

"here we go again..."

I find it very interesting when I ask that question, the majority of people have a...well, what I would refer to as a 'de-motivational' thought! I'm sure you've heard the saying "starting off on the right foot" or "I got out of the wrong side of the bed this morning". Is this really the way 'you' want to start your day?

Hypothetically speaking, let's imagine that we're all going to Hawaii tomorrow morning! Woo Hooo!!! And our plane leaves at 7am. Therefore, we need to be at the airport 2 hours prior for check in. So, we need to be at the Airport by 5am. Since we live 1 hour from the Airport, we need to be out of our house and driving by 4am. Now, since we are all very proactive, we packed the night before so we're able to wake up by 3am in the morning.

Let me ask you this...are you going to have any problem waking up?! I venture to guess that your answer would be 'no' (I know this because I'd have absolutely no problem waking up!).

So, why is that? Why would you jump out of bed ready for the day?! You're correct if you said because your excited or if you have something to wake up for!

Let's add a little perspective to the example above. A friend of mine, after returning from a visit to see her parents in Ghana Africa, said to me..."Paul, it was great to see my family and friends. Yet, it is so good to be back home as I'm so grateful for running water."Running Water." Imagine that?! She is so grateful to be living in a country that has running water!!!

So, I recommend that instead of waking up and dreading the thought of having to get ready for work..think about waking up with the "Attitude of Gratitude!" Because I'm sure you know someone or of someone that is waking up wondering if they'll find work that day, how they're going to feed their family or the ever climbing mountain of bills that need to be paid?

Here's a quick and easy way to getting into the habit of waking up instantly with an Attitude of Gratitude that I would suggest.

Steps to 'triggering' an Attitude of Gratitude.

Take a post-it note or a small piece of paper
Write the words 'Attitude of Gratitude' on the piece of paper
While holding onto the paper with the words on it, close your eyes and think about a time when you were truely and undoubtedly grateful for something in your life.
Remember the time and place vividly, remember how clear the memory appears. What did you see? Was it totally in focus? Was it dim or brightly coloured? Far or close to you in proximity?
What sounds do you remember? Were the sounds or voices clear, loud or quite? What were you thinking? Were your thought processes quick or slow? What specific words do you remember saying or hearing?
Now feel all your feelings of gratitude that you had at that moment in time. Notice now, where they emit from within your body. Are the feelings 'warm' in nature? Isn't it interesting to notice how if you 'spin' the feelings faster and make them larger you start to feel even more grateful! Now, just allow those feelings to fill and spread throughout your body up to your head and all the way down to your toes.
Open your eyes and look at the piece of paper knowing that anytime in the days, weeks and months to come these feelings of Gratitude are available to you.
Last step. Place this piece of paper by your alarm clock beside your bed. I recommend this so that when you roll over, first thing in the morning, you're going to see this 'reminder' of how grateful you really should be. Thus, starting your day off with...living a life with the "Attitude of Gratitude".
I'm sure that you'll find this process both easy and helpful. Please let me know how you like this process? For more info check out this website!

http://www.jmccoaching.com