When we look at the pleasure of a job that isn’t a
nine to five cubicle, we find a lot to appreciate! That appreciation is a tool,
a way to interject a more positive attitude and growing happiness into your
life. Let’s look at gratitude. A recent Harvard
study correlated feelings of gratitude with a consistent and stronger sense of
happiness. It just makes sense. When we are pleased with the job we have, we
aren’t wishing for the illusion of greener pastures.
Rule #1:
To remain happy, watch your associations. A neighbor of ours once had a herd of
goats. Now goats are like any other animal, but a little smaller and a little
brighter. A goat will reach through the fence for that luscious bite of green
grass, and will figure out a way to nibble even more. When a goat escaped, my
neighbor shot it dined on goat. I was horrified! “Let a goat back into the pen
and he’ll teach the rest of the goats how to escape. Nope! Dispose of the
wandering goat. It’s the only way to protect the herd.”
It’s a
good thing we aren’t goats! But isn’t it true for us as well? When we surround
ourselves with complainers, we tend to become complainers as well. When we
surround ourselves with contented people, we will appreciate the pleasures that
are ours.
Rule #2: Cultivate a healthy brain. Did you know that gratitude banishes toxicity from your mind? An article from Berkley Mind and Body recently suggested that using fewer negative words was the key to greater happiness. In other words, just interjecting some positive words into your conversations changed nothing. Eliminating negative words changed neural pathways.
What
does that mean in day-to-day terms? Make a list of negative words you find
yourself uttering…and then stop it! Reword a sentence after using a negative
word. Charge yourself a quarter for each negative word that pops out of your
mouth. Make a conscious effort to eradicate negativity from your mind and you
will see a difference. It’s a fact.
Rule #3: Make a time commitment. Psychology Today reported that cultivated a grateful mindset took time. Participants in a study experienced little change after one week of practicing a new lifestyle. They saw the promise of a new mindset at two weeks…but a lasting change happened with the completion of the study at ten weeks. That’s right. Ten weeks! It takes time to reprogram your brain. Make that investment.
A
gratitude journal over a three-week period is an excellent way to change your
negatives to positives. Take time each day to write down good things you see
happening, things you hope for, ways to enhance gratitude. As you do so, you’ll
become more grateful.
Want to
love what you do? Practice gratitude. Cultivate gratitude. Banish negativity.
You’ll come away with a whole new mindset. Being a merchant rep is a peach of a
position, and one worth appreciating!
