Get the Fullness of Life

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into a enough.

We all have an opportunity to say enough is enough in what we do, what we have, and what we are. We push ourselves and others to the edge with our insatiable appetite for good enough isn’t. There was a time, that is what drove me. Saying over and over again good enough isn’t was my mantra. Thinking that way is not a bad thing and even letting it drive your results towards your goal is not a bad thing. Your headed for burn out however if you’re not pausing along the way to show gratitude.

First, having gratitude in what you have up to this point creates opportunities to ground you. The important thing here is to reflect. We can in every moment, no matter what speed we are running in, take a moment to be grateful. You pick up a certain value in seeing that work in yourself and the perspective it grants you.

There’s a hedonistic treadmill we all seem to be on with out really recognizing that we are. We return eventually to a baseline of happiness and contentment after a major change in our life. We get anxious when there isn’t another jolt of happiness as it dissipates. Getting off the treadmill will remind us that there is good in our lives regardless of how things change at work, in our relationships, with our families. Gretchen Rubin the author of The Happiness Project describes it this way:

People are adaptable. We quickly adjust to a new life circumstance – for better or worse – and consider it normal. Although this helps us when our situation worsens, it means that when circumstances improve, we soon become hardened to new comforts or privileges. Scoring air-conditioning, a bigger house, or fancy title gives us only a brief boost in happiness before we start to take it for granted.

Stop the burn out. There are many things that we can say we are grateful to experience or have. We can look for value and meaning in every moment. We can enjoy the trip. With my work in and through mindfulness exercises I have found a greater capacity to see these moments as I move along.

Gratitude offers up perspective for us. It has a great ability to ensure we are reminded that there’s incredible goodness in our lives, work, health, and relationships. When we can practice gratitude in what we have rather than what we want, joy and contentment will stick around a lot longer.

We’re all moving into the best time of the year to really practice the skill and art of gratitude. Holiday is fast, hard, and a great time to have a perspective of what really matters most. It requires purpose and intention to master. Take the opportunity to do it this weekend. Please feel free to share in the comments box below your story and learns. I would love to allow everyone the opportunity I get as I read them and be as inspired as I was.

I hope you’re holiday weekend with friends and family is incredible. Happy holidays and I am so thankful for your views and readership.

✌Shawn