Gratitude Attitude Sets Tone For Happy Holidays

PINIMAGE

Dear Wellness Seekers,

Gratitude Attitude Sets Tone For Happy Holidays is a message to help you set the right tone for the holidays. One that will help you rise above the stresses of the season – both external and internal. Happy Thanksgiving from the Florida Treasure Coast Beaches! Those of you who follow Spanista know the power of Gratitude is a high concept practice that promises real peace of mind. There is building scientific evidence that directing the quality of your thoughts transforms your biology and mood for the better.

This week I ran across an Opinion Piece by Arthur C. Brooks in the New York Times Review this Sunday titled ‘Choose to be Grateful. It Will Make You Happy.’ I like Mr. Brooks’s take on the world. It is good to see him take this subject so seriously by helping to spread the word.

He speaks to the research he discovered leading him to shape his strategies which I want to pass along because they align well with Spanista Self Care Strategies. Here tells us to focus on:

1. Interior gratitude – the practice of giving thanks privately – find something in the situation to be grateful.
2. Exterior gratitude which focuses on public expression – for example in thePINIMAGE book Authentic Happiness by Martin Seligman, Father of the Field of Positive Psychology, suggests writing gratitude letters to family and friends – 2 short emails everyday offering thanks.

Mr. Brooks goes on to suggest we should be grateful for useless things too – little unimportant things – the trifles. Thankful for small useless things you experience like the fragment of a song that triggers a memory or the turn in the road that allows you to feel the power of a race car driver.

I love Mr. Brooks’ advice on Gratitude. It is especially helpful because it gives me ways to keep Gratitude top of mind even when emotional  pain takes its toll on me. Devoting part of my time to giving back for AbodShelters Foundation as Executive Director, I am exposed to many PINIMAGEsituations that place extreme poverty at the center of life. Some situations become news headlines like the European Refugee migration and others are go on quietly in places like Africa and India where the sheer numbers of families living in these conditions is too massive to phathom – but it is there. Closer to home here in the US, partner NGO’s share the stories of millions of families living on the streets in major metros. While our team works everyday to help families like these the job never goes away – another tragedy is around the corner where in innocent people suffer.

Lastly, Mr. Brooks suggests giving thanks especially when you do not feel it – this is exactly the time to experience its emotional power – shift your thoughts to shift your mind, heart and body into better mindset of wellbeing. It is proven our DNA is wired to respond for the better. This is a tool that will help me rise above the painful feelings to keep going with my work as I lead our Foundation.

Gratitude Attitude Sets Tone For Happy Holidays begins with the wonderful holiday of Thanksgiving.  A heartfelt Thank YOU for joining our Spanista Society and for reading and engaging with the Spanista Philosophy.

And I express deep thankfulness for the wonderful dedicated people who are helping with generous hearts to support the AbodShelters Foundation work to help those who are in need of low cost quality housing. Thanks you for your time and donations. If you care to help us please go to AbodShelters.com to learn more.

To Your Self Care Journey To Joy,

Ginny