WEEK 3 NOVEMBER 2012
To all my American friends, Happy Thanksgiving. I lived in the US for five years and one of my most treasured memories is that of Thanksgiving and really expressing your gratitude to all your loved ones. ‘Thank you‘ – just two simple words that have the power to transform our health, happiness, athletic performance and success. Research shows that grateful people are happier and more likely to maintain good friendships. A state of gratitude, according to research by the Institute of HeartMath, also improves the heart’s rhythmic functioning, which helps us to reduce stress, think more clearly under pressure and heal physically. It’s actually physiologically impossible to be stressed and thankful at the same time. When you are grateful you flood your body and brain with emotions and endorphins that uplift and energise you rather than the stress hormones that drain you. Gratitude and appreciation are also essential for a healthy work environment. In fact, the number one reason why people leave their jobs is because they don’t feel appreciated. A simple thank you and a show of appreciation can make all the difference.
Even if you are not in the US, my call to action this week is to show your appreciation and thanks to those around you and count your blessings too.
Live with an attitude of gratitude.
A true friend is the greatest of all blessings.
Duc De La Rochefoucauld
Go around the dinner table and have everyone acknowledge one thing they are thankful for.
No matter what you’ve done for yourself or for humanity, if you can’t look back on having given love and attention to your own family, what have you really accomplished?
H.J. Brown, Jnr
As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.
John Fitzgerald Kennedy