Saturday Morning I Heard a Most Wonderful Sound…

I have been going to parks now for several months to do my every other day work-outs (I do the other days at home) because I use bars to do pull-ups and chin-ups. My gym has been closed since mid-March and it will be opening soon, so I will be headed back there six days a week.

Anyway, since March all playgrounds have been roped off. The swing-set sat silent and still. It was eerie and downright weird. On Saturday, as I was finishing up my workout, and rolling up my yoga mat (which I use for core work), I heard a child scream. Not a scream of terror. A scream of joy. It has been many months since I heard this sound. I looked around to see where it was coming from and noticed that the ropes were gone and that there were children happily playing on the playground.

This Made My Heart Sing with Gratitude.

Such a little simple thing, but there I am…smiling from ear to ear by myself, swimming in gratitude for a tiny sign of progress in the current COVID environment.

I realize there is still a lot of challenging stuff going on. The pandemic continues, the racial injustice battle, the political negativity, the media’s irresponsible behavior, the economic impact of the situation, and the list can go on can’t it?

There is much to be concerned about and pervasive negativity all around. Yet, at the same time, we all have a great deal to be grateful for, if we take the time to consider it. One of the best antidotes for negativity and worry is to consider what you have to be grateful for. And here’s why…

It’s Virtually Impossible to Be Grateful and Negative at the Same Time.

This is a fact. Try it out and you’ll find that it’s spot-on.

Gratitude is a strategy I’ve employed as part of my approach to life for several years. It is something I do on purpose, and doesn’t come easy, and has made a remarkable difference. In the 3 Circles Living book, I talk about gratitude specifically in two major areas, self-care and relationship care.

There are two main things you can do to increase your gratitude level and reshape how you are seeing the world. The first is to purposefully be thankful in the morning for all of your blessings. You can do this however it works for you, but for me, I give thanks specifically in my morning prayers for the major things in my life…like our home, family, health, etc.

Just doing this creates a feeling of abundance. This is the spirit in which you want to approach life by the way. Scarcity thinking is a very negative view on life and will have the wrong influence on how you engage in, and interact with, the world around you. It sends off a needy, self-centered vibe and is at the root of ugly things like envy and jealousy. Abundance thinking is essential for a serving mentality. This is the spirit of helping others, and making a difference, with the understanding that things will turn out just right for you through this pathway.

The second thing is to be taking in life as you are experiencing it. Be grateful for each thing you encounter in your day. This is a little more difficult, because there are many things weighing on you as you go through the day, and it’s so easy to be focused on what’s next that you forget to experience what’s NOW.

Literally every moment there is something you can appreciate, learn from, enjoy, or feel. Life is not in the future. It is only in the present. If you take care to fully engage in the present, the future will tend to work out just fine.

Charles Dickens said, “Reflect upon your blessings, of which every man has many–not on your past misfortune, of which all men have some.”

Let that one sink in for a minute or five, and then get to work on reveling in all you have to be grateful for and watch how it shifts your perspective for the better! If this resonated with you and you believe it could be beneficial for someone, please share.

This video is a presentation that is 3 Circles centered, if you’ve never seen this, I encourage you to watch it and take it to heart.

If you need some coaching reach out to me.

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Many Blessings, Todd

P.S. The health journey is challenging for many people as they struggle with motivation to do the things they need to. Here is a short video where I talk about the “Pink Fuel,” a product that helps with reducing hunger and boosting energy, focus, and mood, naturally. It is one of the best “gateway” products for moving into a healthier lifestyle I have seen in 31 years. Let me know if you would like a link to order and try at wholesale, or if you would like more information. This is helping a lot of people.

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