EVERY STEP COUNTS: Make time to be grateful

By Chris Hunt, the Fundamental Coach

Well, hello to you on this awesome day.

Why is it awesome I hear you say?

Well because it’s the weekly release day for The Wokingham Paper which of course means its also the next instalment EVERY STEP COUNTS … Your weekly boost of unrelenting positivity and tactics to make you be the best version of YOU.

How are you doing today?

What’s been working for you this week?

What needs more of your attention then?

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What needs that extra bit of TLC this week to assist you being completely awesome?

Repeat after me this week please:

I AM AWESOME

I AM SPECIAL

I AM HUNGRY FOR SUCCESS

I AM A WARRIOR

I AM LOVING

I AM GRATEFUL

I AM SUCCESSFUL

I AM DRIVEN

I AM BRAVE

I AM RESPONSIBLE

I AM ORGANISED

I AM TALENTED

I AM CONFIDENT

I AM CALM

I AM THOROUGH

I AM FUN

Some brilliant affirmations there for you… The key is to really feel the words, embrace them, deepen the physiological connection and let every cell in your body feel the love. I conduct affirmation work in the mornings, on the way to work, while I’m training, before and after I do meditations, before I go to sleep so basically wherever and whenever.

There is no best time but there is a very ideal time for you. For today, I would anchor the affirmations to every time you read the paper so every time you buy and read the paper you will get this boost of energy and this boost of focus.

Remember you may choose to use positive affirmations to motivate yourself, encourage positive changes in your life, or boost your self-esteem or self-worth.

If you find yourself getting caught up in toxic seriously negative self-talk, positive affirmations can be used to combat these subconscious patterns and replace them with more adaptive narratives. That is the aim of the game.

Last week we also touched on being grateful and we covered various benefits including:

YOU will feel an increase in happiness
An improvement in YOUR own mental health.
Helps savour positive experiences.
Can help YOU cope better with major life challenges.
Fosters resilience.
BOOSTS self-esteem.
Fosters empathy.
Can aid in having better STRONGER relationships.

I also promised you last week that I would teach you my G.R.AT.E.F.U.L model that I work with clients on from time to time. The G.R.A.T.E.F.U.L model is a gamechanger if you need more GRATITUDE in your life so what we waiting for? Let’s get straight to it:

G – GROWTH

R – RELATIONSHIPS

A – APPRECIATION

T – THINGS

E – ENJOY

F – FAMILY

U – UNCOMMON

L – LEARN

All the eight factors above are important when it comes to GRATITUDE and the practise of GRATITUDE.

GROWTH – Every time you carry out the work, it should be to move you forward. It should allow some reflection time to bring out the best in you. The practice of GRATITUDE is all about learning, growing as a person and growing as a form of energy.

RELATIONSHIPS – Make your most important relationships a focal point of your GRATITUDE work. A common one for me is that “I am grateful for having such an awesome and gorgeous wife” or “I am grateful for having amazing clients that I get to work with every day”.

APPRECIATION – Having this time for GRATITUDE allows for some serious appreciation work and this is what it is all about. Appreciate the vast array of options in your life. Appreciation leads to HAPPINESS.

THINGS – Things or objects can be a focal point for your GRATITUDE work. Being grateful for the car you drive, the house you live in, the nice watch you have around your wrist, the smart shoes that you wear for work every day, the trampoline in the garden that you get to watch your kids play on … there are so many options. It’s not about being materialistic but it is about appreciating the material things in our lives.

ENJOY – When you conduct the GRATITUDE work, enjoy the moment. I smile from ear to ear when I do this type of work and I can’t help but be in a better mood when I do. Even seeing my clients and family members carrying out the work gets me smiling, it’s all about reciprocity.

FAMILY – This is like relationships but more central to our main group of interactions. Be grateful for your partner, your children, your relatives, your friends, it really can be anyone. The more you are grateful, the higher your opinion you will be for this person. It’s a great tool for when you know you haven’t been appreciating someone close to you.

UNCOMMON – Think outside the box, think bigger than yourself. Think of something that is different or uncommon and be grateful for it. An example would be being thankful and grateful for the soft carpet you get to walk on at home. Some people don’t have carpets or even any flooring at all.

LEARN – What can you learn from being grateful? What actions could you take to move forward in life? What steps could you take right now to enforce the feelings you have just encountered? Daily learning is one of my daily keystone habits, so I encourage you to learn something new every day. This works a treat with practicing GRATITIDE…what are you waiting for?

BOOOOOOOOOM … There we have it.

GRATITUDE and my G.R.A.T.E.F.U.L. model … please, start using it today OK?

Use it as soon as you put this paper down, start practicing it when you get in the car, continue using it throughout the day. It’s all about reinforcement.

“Positive reinforcement changes behaviour for the better, while criticism stabilises negative behaviours and blocks change.”

And I finish this week with the same quote I finished last week with…

“Gratitude and attitude are not challenges; they are choices.”

Happy Sunday, be awesome, be happy, be full of energy, be positive and be GRATEFUL… It really is your choice … Now go reinforce that decision ?