ManifestingWellBeing.com

"the blessing of beauty"

With the rocky economy it can be difficult at times to feel grateful instead of grumbling about what isn’t right with the world. However, by taking time to be grateful even during difficult times and at challenging moments, exceptional personal growth can take place. I read an excellent article by Jack Canfield, author of the Chicken Soup for the Soul, on Gratitude and Appreciation. You can read the full article here:

http://jackcanfield.com/files/newsletter_archive/112008.htm

I began to reflect on moments that I have made a conscious effort to focus on gratitude and appreciation. A few weeks ago I experienced a very challenging moment when I discovered that one of my car tires was very flat. This was particularly inconvenient as I was 40 miles from home. As I was given the news by a very sweet woman in a restaurant where I was having lunch, I realized that I had a choice about how I was going to react to my flat tire. I could have certainly become “justifiably” upset, or I could calmly face the situation and focus on the blessings around me at that moment. The blessings I chose to focus on included the fact that I was not alone as I decided what to do. My aunt and cousin were with me and offered tremendous support. It was a brilliantly sunny day and neither pouring rain or snowing. I did have a spare tire in my trunk if I needed it, and calling AAA was always an option.

As I focused on these blessings I remained very calm and at ease. The flat tire no longer seemed to be such a big deal. With a few stops along the way at gasoline station air pumps, I made it safely home, and found a tire service station that could work on my car right way. (It was even a Sunday!). While I waited for my car I read a wonderful book and actually enjoyed the extra time to relax. Once my tire situation was evaluated I was informed that I actually needed two new tires. Fortunately, I was later told by a family member that I had received a great deal on the tires!

So as you go throughout your holiday season look for people, circumstances and events to appreciate. The more you appreciate the more grateful you will feel and the more beautiful life will become. You can have a lovely holiday season despite what they may be saying on the news!

Deborah Barnett, Ph.D.

ManifestingWellBeing.com

“Manifesting Well-Being for Health and Success”

Here in America we are celebrating Thanksgiving. Or iginally, back in 1789, President George Washington proclaimed this to be a public day of thanksgiving and prayer. Today, many people think of the holiday as a day to gather with friends and family, eat turkey, and give thanks for the blessings in their lives.

Giving thanks may seem like a “good” and “nice” thing to do. However, the benefits of giving thanks and expressing gratitude have profound ripple effects. Marci Shimoff, author of Happy for No Reason: 7 Steps to Being Happy from the Inside Out www.happyfornoreason.com, interviewed 100 unconditionally happy people as a part of her research for this book. She found that unconditionally happy people have happiness habits that they practice. One of these happiness habits is to Focus on Gratitude. Marci explains that if you want to learn a new skill or habit, a great way to do this is to model someone who already practices this skill or habit. So, if happiness is something that you would like to attract more of into your life, cultivating gratitude is a good step toward doing this.

A fun exercise which utilizes giving thanks and may increase your happiness is the exercise of giving thanks in advance. To do this exercise, simply think about what you would like to attract into your life. Imagine and feel for a few moments what it would feel like if these events/circumstances were already in your life. After contemplating this for a few minutes, start to give thanks for these events/circumstances as if had manifested. Some example statements might be, “Thank you for my healthy body. . . I am so grateful for the fun job and clients that I have. . . I am so thankful for the safe and comfortable home that I live in.” It is a fun exercise and really can get the “gratitude juices” flowing through your body.

I am a big fan of expressing gratitude and I make it one of my daily practices. This year I am more appreciative of the Thanksgiving holiday than I have ever been before. For the coming year I’m going to focus on having the feeling of Thanksgiving present in my life all year long. . . . but I think I’ll skip eating turkey everyday.

Deborah Barnett, Ph.D.

www.ManifestingWellBeing.com

Manifesting Well-Being for Health and Success

I was inspired by comments from both senators McCain and Obama on election night last week. Mr. McCain urged all Americans to join him in an effort to find ways to come together and to bridge our differences. In his speech, President-Elect Obama presented the resounding message of “Yes we can.” He stated, “We have never been a collection of red states or blue states, we are and always will be the United States of America. . . . If our children should live to see the next century . . . what change will they see? What progress will we have made?”

Regardless of political differences, the underlying theme in both speeches was of unification. When we come together we can make a difference and bring about change. Moving from the national level to the individual level, this is where change can begin. One way to make changes within ourselves is to take Obama’s message and personalize it by saying, “Yes I can.”

If we look within ourselves, this is the place where we have the power to directly make a change. We can all do something to grow and develop ourselves, even in a small way. This might be making a committing to get out of bed and exercise in the morning. We can also make a difference by reaching out to touch another’s life. This may be choosing to smile at a stranger in the grocery store line, or bringing in the mail for a neighbor who is ill. Empowering oneself and then sending out good wishes or lending a helping hand to another person feels wonderful, and it does make a difference. So the next time the thought goes through, “I can’t” or “I don’t feel like it,” try turning it around and saying, “Yes I can.”

Walking

Walking, especially with a focused mind, is wonderful for reducing stress. A good way to begin is by focusing while you walk, for a short length of time, such as 5 to 10 minutes. During this time you may focus on your breath, the sound of your footsteps, or the image of yourself achieving a goal that you want to accomplish.

Sitting Quietly and Breathing

If you are not able to get outside to walk, sitting quietly and focusing on your breathing is helpful. At first begin with a few minutes and then gradually increase the length of time up to 30 minutes. As you sit quietly you may simply focus on the inhalation and exhalation of your breath as it flows in and out of your body. You may want to try counting your breaths to help you stay focused. For example you might say to yourself as you breathe in, “in one, two, three” and then as you breathe out, “out one, two, three.”

Write Down Those Thoughts

Another exercise for times when you are worried, stressed, and overwhelmed by a list of things you need to do, is to write everything that is swirling in your head down on paper. Then pick one manageable thing to do, which once it is complete, will help you to feel better. Once this item is accomplished, focus on this good feeling of completion and acknowledge yourself for what you have done, instead of dwelling on what you have not done.

Deb Barnett, Ph.D. www.ManifestingWellBeing.com 

 “Manifesting Well Being for Health and Success”

Ed Diener, Ph.D. is one of the most well respected researchers in the field of positive psychology. As a member of the International Positive Psychology Association, this summer I had the good fortune of hearing Dr. Diener speak during a teleclass about his new book,  Happiness: Unlocking the Mysteries of Psychological Wealth  which he co-wrote with his son, Robert Biswas-Diener. During his call Dr. Diener’s shared information from his new book. This included an overview of the benefits of being happy. Some of these include:

Social Benefits – happy people are likely to be more social, self-confident and warm

Work Success – happy people tend to be rated more highly by their supervisors, perform better on the job and make more money.

Health and Longevity- happy people have a stronger immune system and in a study of nuns, the happier nuns lived longer than the less happy nuns

Societal Benefits -happy people tend to volunteer more, be more peaceful and more cooperative.

For a delightful interview of Ed Diener and his son Robert Biswas-Diener by writer Gretchen Rubin, see Gretchen’s blog post of her Happiness interview with Ed Diener and Robert Biswas-Diener

Gretchen is writing a book called The Happiness Project which will be published in late 2009.