Right now, I’m taking a course from Dr Srikumar Rao called Creative and Personal Mastery. It is an acclaimed course taught at top business schools all over the world. Dr. Rao is a fellow member of the MG100 coaches and he offered to do a session just for a handful of us. I was lucky enough to be asked.
My assignment this week is about gratitude and appreciation. I thought to myself, well, this is an easy one because this is what I practice. In my book, The Connector’s Advantage, I talk about that mindset of abundance and practicing gratitude.
The homework: Right before you go to sleep and first thing when you wake up think about all the things you are grateful for. Feel the gratitude, as he put it, “well up in you.” And he says, as a result, I will be happier.
Seems simple enough, yet I struggled with it. I could do the exercise but didn’t feel the swell. I felt disconnected with the task. What I realized was I had a different way of practicing and feeling the gratitude I have in my life.
Connecting to happiness is a little bit about intention and a choice about how and what you want to focus on. I like connecting to the happiest moments of the day, reliving them, building them in, and making note in that instant. It is too easy to get them crowded out by something else.
For me, I feel happier by intentionally highlighting in your own mind, your happy moments.
So what will make you happier? How can you integrate gratitude into your day? I believe it can be different for everyone.
Need some ideas? Here are a few questions that can help bring it back to the front of your day. You can use them anytime of day. I am a fan of the dinner table and bedtime cuddles personally.
- What were your highs and lows today? (Sometime we can turn those lows around with a new angle.)
- What was the best part of your day?
- What made you laugh or smile today?
- What made you proud today?
- How did you make someone else smile or laugh today?
My husband tells me that I don’t stop to celebrate the small wins. And he’s right. So, I’m working on my homework very diligently. Because who couldn’t be just a little bit happier?
So, tell me, what makes you happy? How would you answer these questions?