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Positive Planet Articles
Want to Make a
Difference? Start a Chain of Gratitude!
By Amy Phillips-Gary
When you look around, how do you feel about what you see? Lately, it
seems too easy to mainly see the things that aren't so good. In the news
we learn about people from all over the world who are starving or trying
to recover after a recent disaster. In our own neighborhoods and lives
we may encounter economic conditions that appear frightening and
extremely fragile. Even our bodies might be perceived as "less than" in
some way or "in decline" as we age and change.
Simply put, the outlook on the world right now just doesn't seem very
bright for many people. The sense of foreboding, fear and even
helplessness might spur some to action: "Save the world." or "Change the
current direction we are heading" which may feel like a downward spiral.
Wanting to make a positive difference in your world can certainly be
beneficial and an uplifting endeavor. But when your focus continues to
be on the conditions that you perceive to be unacceptable or even bad,
it's unlikely that your world will significantly change anytime soon.
Instead, recognize when you encounter a situation or condition that you
do not like and then shift your energy toward what you do like and what
you want to create
instead. This isn't about denying anything at all. In fact, getting a
good look at what doesn't please you can be a powerful way to become
clear. We get stuck when we don't make that conscious shift toward what
it is that we want.
Gratitude is a wonderful way to begin pointing yourself toward what you
do want. The ripple effects of gratitude can also make a positive
difference in your world.
The Gratitude Chain
One of my close friends, Melissa, introduced a gratitude practice to me
that not only feels good but also has the potential to encourage
powerful changes in the lives of many others. Melissa and I, along with
other friends, participate in the online social networking site Facebook.
The networks of people on Facebook
include those friends I frequently get to see, others I haven't seen in
years and even some whom I have only met online. Facebook is all about
sharing what we're each doing at work, at home, and out about in our
various communities.
Another Facebook activity is to post a note which could be a list of
favorite songs, memories from high school, quirky facts about your
partner or other silliness. When someone posts a note on Facebook, he or
she will often "tag"
particular friends as a way to invite them to post a similar note.
It's a bit like a chain letter except
that you personalize the note to fit your own preferences and life.
Melissa decided to post a note declaring a few things that she felt
grateful for in that moment and I was one of her "tagged" friends. In
turn, I posted a list of things I was feeling gratitude about and tagged
not only Melissa, but also a handful of different friends.
The gratitude chain that Melissa started on Facebook continues today.
What a delight and inspiration for me to open up my Facebook account and
get the chance to share a friend's gratitude moment with a larger
community. I can then choose to reach into myself and create my own list
to share.
Sometimes the gratitude lists we post are glowing like: "I am grateful
for the beauty of the sun" or "I am grateful to watch my peaceful
sleeping child." But this practice has also showed me that we can all
feel gratitude even when life doesn't seem so sun-shiny or peaceful. For
example, I myself recently wrote that I was grateful for the calm after
an emotional cry.
The thing about gratitude is that you don't have to feel great to
be grateful.
This doesn't mean that you deny your feelings or the difficulties that
might be going on in your life. What it can mean is that you look within
yourself for sense of
appreciation about whatever is happening. This might include finding
that so-called "silver lining" in even a dark moment. Or it could be the
bit of wisdom or lesson that allows you to move beyond where you are.
I often find that whatever is troubling me somehow lightens and feels
less insurmountable when I cultivate gratitude.
A gratitude practice can also help you to look up from where you are.
You might notice things about yourself, your life and your world that
you might have taken for
granted before. This could be as simple as the sun peeking out from
behind a cloud for even a few seconds or the pleasant taste of a hot cup
of your favorite tea.
The power of gratitude is that once you open up to it, your view expands
and you can now see and experience more and more of the stuff that makes
you feel good.
If it feels good, spread it around.
So why not spread it around when you come across something that feels
good to you? Just like my friend Melissa did, why not start a
gratitude chain among your own friends and communities? You don't have
to be on Facebook or even have
internet access to do this.
As you open up to appreciation more and more in your daily life, share
what you find with others. You could choose to talk about the negative
news you heard on the radio or read in the papers. Or you could decide
to find some aspects of
your life and world that you are grateful for and communicate about
that.
Whether it's over the workroom
lunchtable or a chat with your neighbor, talk more about what you feel
gratitude for with others then watch to see who is inspired to continue
the practice.
You never know what kind of chain reaction you might set off!
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Amy Phillips-Gary is a free-lance writer, homeschool mom and
personal growth adventurer.
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Susie and Otto Collins are Relationship Coaches and
authors of 4 books on relationships and personal growth. To get their
FREE weekly newsletter filled with practical tips and ideas for creating
more connected, passionate and alive relationships send a blank message
to mailto:collins@aweber.com
or visit their web site at http://www.collinspartners.com
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