Finding Gratitude for the Little Things in Life Can Have a Positive Effect
Posted on April 11, 2022 by Barbara Bell, One of Thousands of Life Coaches on Noomii.
Practicing gratitude is a great and simple action you can take to find equanimity and calm in stressful situations.
A mother recently tweeted about words of wisdom she received from a suprising source. As she nervously anticipated a meeting, one that she likely had been fearing and may have even been avoiding, her son said something that brought much-needed perspective. To give her a boost of courage, he said, " Think of the donuts in your day.”
With inborn wisdom, this lad used an example of something he’s grateful for to encourage his mother to focus on feelings of gratitude for the good things in her life, instead of dwelling on what she was perceiving as scary, difficult, or stressful.
This is a great strategy that, as a professional coach, I heartily endorse. The simple act of thinking about the “donuts” in your life can help you find a place of calm when you’re stressed. It can remind you that life is full of good things, not just struggle and stress.
The boy also advised his mother to “walk big” when she goes to the meeting. Evidence in support of the connection between your physical posture and your mood or mental state is emerging in scientific circles. Walking or standing “big” can induce feelings of positivity, confidence, and courage.
I am grateful for many “donuts”; grateful to have the privilege of helping clients not only remember and appreciate their “donuts”, but also actively and courageously move past old habits of negative thought, belief, and behaviour, and begin to live a life where “walking big” comes more easily to them.
I believe that the arts and creative expression are not only an avenue of self-healing, but also can be a power that aids in the healing of humanity and the planet, and I am especially grateful for my work with writers, visual artists, and musicians. I feel privileged to contribute to that healing as I help creators find what matters to them, to discover or remember a passion for creation that has invited them to “walk big” in their work, and has brought dozens of “donuts” into their lives.
