Appreciation can change a day, even change a life. Your willingness to put it into words is all that is necessary.
(Margaret Cousins)
Gratitude is one of those fantastic, magical pills you should take a few times each week. Research shows that gratitude is crucial to your well-being. Gratitude helps us get through hard times, improves our physical and mental health, and helps us connect with others. It’s time to start counting your blessings. The gratitude pill is essential for a healthy and happy life.
Story – The blind man and the sign
The story of David Ogilvy, the father of advertising and the blind man, is an old one that I would like to share with you today.
One morning, on his walk to the office, David Ogilvy saw a homeless man with a sign around his neck that read:
I AM BLIND
The poor man would sometimes rattle the cup and, by the sound of it, try to figure out how much spare change he had been given. Most days, the blind man didn’t hear much.
It was springtime in New York. The sun was shining from the sky, and a warm breeze tickled passersby. David Ogilvy took pity on the poor blind man and dropped a few coins into his cup. Then he introduced himself and asked the poor blind man if he could try to improve the sign around his neck. The blind man thanked him, said he could use a little help, and let David Ogilvy add a few words to his sign.
On his way home that day, David Ogilvy stopped by the blind man and was happy to see his cup was full. The blind man was very grateful and amazed at his success and asked David Ogilvy what words he had added:
IT IS A BEAUTIFUL DAY
I AM BLIND
With just a few words, David Ogilvy made people feel compassion for the poor blind man and be grateful to see the beautiful day.
Assignment: Train your gratitude muscle
Gratitude may feel harder for some of us, but there is hope. Research suggests that we can train ourselves to be more grateful. One of the best ways to train your gratitude muscle is to keep a gratitude journal. This week, we are going to jumpstart your gratitude by exercising it every day.
Notice things and people you are grateful for and add them to the gratitude branch in your journal. They do not have to be moments of awe or anything spectacular. It can be anything that makes you smile or feel warm inside. A bird singing or a cat purring, the sun rising or rain drumming, a flower blooming or a tree in autumn, your child’s smile or a kind word from a colleague, happy memories of the past or hopes for the future. The choice is yours. As long as you write a few words about it in your journal each day this week, I am grateful and hope you will be, too.
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