Tag Archive for appreciate

Make a List of Everything You Are Grateful For

Business magnate Richard Branson says he’s “passionate about lists.” What’s on your lists?
 
GenuLines suggests making a list that proclaims your gratitude.
 
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Make a List of Everything You Are Grateful For

You may forget the little things that you’re grateful for in your life. But, if you keep them in plain sight, it can help you reinforce your gratitude.
 
check listSo why not write them down, and keep them close by?
 
If you find yourself overwhelmed by negative feelings, refer to your list. It can serve as a way to reset your negativity.
 
Think of all the things you’re grateful for and start listing them. If you get stuck, think about the people in your life.
 
 
 
Who gives you happy thoughts?
 
List the aspects of what those people do to make you happy. If you love the way your spouse smiles at you, write that down.
 
It can be something simple, such as reading the newspaper on the train. The point is, no item is too small to add to the list.
 
Do you love the jokes that the server tells you when you get your cup of coffee and your muffin? That goes on the list, too.
 
Your list should never be complete as you will find new experiences and people to add to it. Each day, there is potential for people to make a small difference in your life.
 
But, remember that you make differences in other peoples’ lives as well.
 
Try to make those experiences more positive than negative. If people around you bring you down either avoid them or try to help them to be more positive. 
 
If you are the one bringing people down, you need to try and reverse this.
 
The list will be a big factor in helping you. Negative and bitter feelings stem from not appreciating your life and all the things in it.
 
That’s one reason why keeping a list is so important.
 
You can choose to write this list on a piece of paper, or keep it on an electronic device. It doesn’t matter how you store it, but you want it to be accessible.
 
Commit to reading it and make regular updates to it. Add to it as you find more things that you are grateful for in your life.
 
Maintaining this list could be the basis for a book that you write about appreciating your life. By publishing your list, you may help others do the same.
 
Reading your ideas might spark them to be grateful, too.
 
JohnK 12-3-2019
 
stick figure talking about listsOverheard: “Lists today are a way of trying to get through the day because we are losing a sense of time”
                                                ~David Viscott
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Article Image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay

 
 
 
 
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Appreciate the Small Things And Find Contentment

You’re intent on finding happiness, but what about contentment? You hear about appreciating the small stuff and feeling happy.
 
Today GenuLines asks you to turn your aim from happiness to contentment.
 
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Appreciate the Small Things And Find Contentment

baby feeling contentmentMost emotions are transitional, meaning you’re never in one state for long periods. People labeled upbeat actually do have moments of sadness or depression.
 
And even depressed people may not feel depressed all the time.
 
 
 
 
 
Think about a major event such as a war. When two countries are fighting, both sides lose lives.
 
It’s bloody, and it can last for several years. But, when the war is over, the countries are euphoric.
 
There will be no more bloodshed because of the war, and people can return to their lives.
 
But nothing that has changed in the world except that the war has ended. In other words, the sun still sets each day.
 
People still have to manage their lives.
 
The euphoria from the war ending doesn’t last long. Months later, the war is still over, but the euphoria has died down.
 
The same is true in a smaller way when you’re ill. For instance, suppose you have a stomach bug that leaves you uncomfortable and in pain.
 
When the bug passes you feel wonderful.
 
Yet, you don’t feel any better than you did when you weren’t experiencing the bug. It’s relative to the bad feelings.
 
That’s how emotional states work. They go from one to the other on a constant basis.
 
Appreciating the small things in life may lead to happiness. But, it’s likely you’re content more than you are happy.
 
Contentment can feel like a neutral state, leaning on the side of happy. There isn’t anything wrong when you’re content.
 
But, there’s also nothing ratcheting up your happiness.
 
Consider contentment before happiness
Striving for happiness can be stressful. The antidote? Gratitude. You’ll feel content without having to always push toward happiness.
 
Time spent in contentment means you’re doing something right.
 
Think about the people you love. And think about all you have, such as your health and a good job.
 
Imagine life without them and you’ll really appreciate contentment. That thought may even make you happy, if only for a short time.
 
JohnK 7-16-2019
 
stick figure feeling contentmentOverheard: “A harvest of peace is produced from a seed of contentment”
                            ~Proverb
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
disclaimer to deal with contentment
 
 
 

Project Into Your Future: Appreciate the Small Stuff

crystal ball to projectSuppose you had a crystal ball. You gaze into the ball, and it starts to reveal your life for the next twenty years.
 
It’s showing your future. How would it look?
 
 
 
 
Today GenuLines takes a “look.”
 
 
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Project Into Your Future: Appreciate the Small Stuff

While there are no definite ways to peer into the future to date, you do have some control over the process. There are random events that will be beyond your control.
 
Unfortunately, some of them will be unpleasant. But, there’s a lot you can do to shape your future.
 
The point of the exercise is to try and determine if you appreciate the small things in your life.
 
A look into the crystal ball
Are you spending time with family or friends? Or are you working long hours and not interacting with anyone?
 
If you keep your focus on making money, you may look back on your time and wish you hadn’t. There’s much more to life than work.
 
At some point, the company could turn you loose. They may replace you with someone younger and less expensive.
 
You aren’t as important to them as you make yourself out to be. Everyone is replaceable.
 
People do need to work. You have to be able to provide for your family.
 
But, you need to have a balance between work and spending time with your family and friends. Work and money are things you can always manage to find.
 
Family and friends are irreplaceable as is the time you spend with them.
 

Opportunity knocks

Another reason to spend time with people is they can also present you with opportunities. For instance, you may not like your career, but you stick with it because the money is good and it’s steady work.
 
As you interact with other people, you may hear about opportunities for work that you’d much prefer. This kind of thing happens quite often.
 
If you spent the majority of your time at your job, you would never discover these opportunities.
 
Of course, you don’t want your friendships to be dependent on the opportunities they provide. Yet, friendships often lead to forming new ventures.
 
That’s a natural part of the process.
 
But don’t pick your job on the basis of forming close friendships. In time some co-workers can become good friends.
 
Just remember that these relationships are professional.
 
JohnK 6-11-2019
 
stick figure ready to projectOverheard: “We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.”
                       ~Albert Schweitzer
 
 
 
 
 
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Show Others How to Appreciate the Small Things

Life gives us lots to appreciate. People who forget that can become bitter over time.
 
But you can set an example for them. Today GenuLines looks at some ways to do it.
 
call to content you'll appreciate
 

Show Others How to Appreciate the Small Things

Your gratitude for life’s gifts can help you show others how to do the same. You don’t have to go overboard.
 
sign you can appreciateYou can make occasional references to how you enjoy your life and give reasons why. Relate experiences about your weekend to your colleagues.
 
Then tell why you appreciate them.
 
Stay as positive as you can, even if the bitter people are negative. That’s not easy since negative people can sour the moods of the people around them.
 
 
***
 

 

But, your positive outlook can cancel out that negative behavior.
 
People appreciate listeners
They haven’t been able to get their problems off their chest. These problems often build, which stokes their bitterness.
 
They feel as though no one is listening and no one cares about them. But playing the role of advisor can be the wrong tactic to use.
 
Be a listener. It’ll make a world of difference.
 
Invite them to events after work. Understand that it may take some time before they say yes to your invitations.
 
Bitter people often become reclusive. Keep inviting them, and over time you may break down their barriers.
 
Don’t pressure them. That will make them more reclusive.
 
Talk activities
Get them talking about their hobbies or their favorite sports. Even if they aren’t active in these events, ask about past experiences.
 
When they start talking it may re-ignite a spark. That can be a great starting point in helping them get through their issues.
 
Some people will never let down their guard, and that’s unfortunate. They’ve stopped living life, and they don’t appreciate any aspect of it.
 
But there’s hope for some. Even changing one life is a force for good.
 
They’ll become more pleasant to be around. And they may get to the point where they’ll help others who’ve lost their way.
 
JohnK 5-7-2019
 
 
stickman who apreciatesOverheard: When the crowd appreciates you, it encourages you to be a little more daring, I think.
                               ~ Julius Erving
 
 
 
 
 
***Photo by MARK ADRIANE on Unsplash
 
 
 
 
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Appreciate The Small Things and Find Contentment

Appreciate the small stuff and you’ll be happy. You hear it enough.

But what is happiness anyway?

Today GenuLines looks at appreciation and its “kissin’ cousin”, contentment.

 

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Appreciate The Small Things and Find Contentment

smile to appreciateMost emotions are transitional, meaning you’re never in one state for long periods. People who are considered upbeat will have moments of sadness or depression.

Even depressed people aren’t depressed all the time. They have moments of happiness, too.

 

Think about a major event such as a war. When two countries are fighting, both sides lose lives.

It’s bloody, and it can last for years. But, when the war is over, the countries are euphoric.

There will be no more bloodshed because of the war, and people can return to their homes. But, nothing that has changed in the world except that the war has ended.

In other words, the sun still sets each day. People still have to manage their lives.

The euphoria from the war ending doesn’t last long. Months later, the war is still over, but the euphoria has died down.

Same goes for sickness

The same is true in a smaller way when you have a bad sickness. For instance, suppose you have a stomach bug that leaves you uncomfortable and in pain.

When the bug passes you feel fine. But you don’t feel any better than you did when you weren’t experiencing the bug.

It’s relative to the bad feelings. That’s how emotional states work.

They go from one to the other on a constant basis.

Appreciating the small things in life may lead to happiness. But, it’s likely you’re content more than you are happy.

Contentment can almost be thought of as a neutral state, leaning toward the happy side. There’s nothing wrong when you’re content.

But, there also isn’t anything that is making you overly happy.

Striving for happiness can be stressful. You might want to shoot for contentment instead.

Contentment is likely to find you when you appreciate small aspects of your life.

And it comes without the hassle of working hard toward happiness.

If you spend most of your life being content you’re doing something right. Think about all the people you love and what you have, such as your health and a good job, etc.

If you try to imagine life without them, you will truly appreciate your contentment. That thought may even make you happy for a short period.

JohnK 2-26-2019
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stick figure shows can appreciateOverheard: “My crown is called content, a crown that seldom kings enjoy”
                         ~William Shakespeare

 

 

 

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Photo by Belinda Fewings on Unsplash