Breathe Gratitude into your Life

Posted on July 17, 2020 by Jeremy Steinhaus, One of Thousands of Life Coaches on Noomii.

Conversations with a colleague #1

What’s IMPORTANT in life? How do I distinguish between the IMPORTANT and the insignificant? If I have INSIGNIFICANT tasks and chores that are BLOCKING me from achieving my important GOALS, what should I do?

This morning I was FORTUNATE to have a check-in call with a coaching COLLEAGUE of mine, and we DISCUSSED just these issues. What can be done for clients, for FRIENDS, and for ourselves when we are STRUGGLING?

There’s a lot of UNCERTAINTY in the world these days. There’s sensory OVERLOAD from entertainment and technology. Social DISTANCING means more and more people are working remotely. As a result, it is hard to disconnect from WORK at home. It’s like we’re always on call.

QUESTION: What can WE do?

ANSWER: REEXAMINE what’s important in our lives. PRIORITIZE the tasks which help us reach our GOALS.

So what’s IMPORTANT?!?

1. Health
2. Relationships
3. Self-expression
4. Contribution to the world

For TODAY, I want to focus on HEALTH!

Most THINK health means our BODY…“Do I need to see the DOCTOR?” That’s part of it. Of course it’s good to have a HEALTHY body. But even if my body is healthy, I can STILL have PROBLEMS. I can have pessimistic THOUGHTS. I can JUDGE others and myself. I can COMPARE myself to others and create DISTANCE by feeling successful OR unsuccessful.

There’s a different APPROACH, it requires us to EXPAND our definition of health to INCLUDE the BODY the MIND and the SOUL. It starts with LOVING ourselves. It starts with having GRATITUDE.

- How do I build GRATITUDE?
- How do I EXPRESS thanks for my life even if I’m struggling?
- What if I don’t have ENOUGH money, and my RELATIONSHIPS are terrible?
- What if I am FEELING sick, tired, lonely and AFRAID??

If we can’t FIND any GRATITUDE, we’re not grateful for OURSELVES. We need to BUILD compassion for the world. And we need to START by having compassion for OURSELVES.

- I AM working hard. I AM making progress. I WILL NOT harass myself.

Being kind to MYSELF will increase my PATIENCE.
If I have PATIENCE with myself, I can have patience for OTHERS

Everyone is WORKING hard…everyone is making PROGRESS…I can show COMPASSION for them.

With PATIENCE and COMPASSION, my view of the world will CHANGE.
I will start to SEE…when I don’t harass PEOPLE, I can HELP them.
When I help OTHERS, I FEEL good…and they feel GOOD.

Think of the GOOD things in life…START with the most important…

I am BREATHING.
I am ALIVE.

Life means POSSIBILTY. Maybe I haven’t used my TIME the way I would like to up until NOW, but each breath is a CHANCE to start again.

Take a moment and just BREATHE.
With each in-breath, feel the POWER of your body.
ALL of the STRUGGLES you have SURVIVED.
All of the PLEASURE you have been allowed to EXPERIENCE.

BREATHE

Focus on a HAPPY experience from your past.
BREATHE in and IMAGINE the PLEASURE you EXPERIENCE as it wraps inside you HEAD, filling your BRAIN and sliding down your NECK.
Let it GENTLY wrap around your whole body.
It’s ok to ALWAYS feel this WONDERFUL feeling.

As you BREATHE out, REMEMBER that it’s ok to let this EXPERIENCE go.
You have had many other PLEASURABLE experiences.
And NEW experiences are on their way.
LET go of the FEAR.
Let go of the TENSION.
Let go of all the insignificant CHORES that are blocking you from ACHIEVING your important GOALS.

THANK the universe for bringing YOU to where you are right NOW.
Thank your body for SUPPORTING you in life.
Thank your phone for CONNECTING you with the world.
Thank SOCIAL distancing for GIVING you some SPACE to be with your THOUGHTS.

THANK all the THINGS that make you upset – they show you that LIFE isn’t meant to be this way.

THANK unsuccessful PEOPLE for showing you what not to do.

THANK successful people who GUIDE you toward what you will BECOME. Thank yourself for being ALIVE.

BREATHE and ASK yourself: what do I WANT to do with MY DAY!