Exercises for Building Your Sense of Gra5tude. Name: Mr. Barter GWL3O

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Laureen Carpenter
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1 Exercises for Building Your Sense of Gra5tude Name: Mr. Barter GWL3O

2 On Gratitude It s fi'ng that Na-onal Thank You Month falls in January, which follows the country s biggest gi?-giving holiday season. Although it s appropriate to express your gra-tude to those who have given you a gi? recently, saying thank you frequently can actually improve your health. The term gra-tude comes from the La-n word gra-a, which means grace, graciousness or gratefulness. Studies have shown that those who express their thanks on a regular basis experience benefits such as: Increased alertness and energy Improved op-mism and determina-on Greater success in achieving goals More ac-ve; exercise more frequently Improved rela-onships with friends and families Studies have also shown that those who express their gra-tude are more hopeful than those who don t. Being thankful is more than just words; it s a mindset. Here are some ways to help you live a grateful life this year: Journal daily. Expressing thanks or gra-tude can be done in several ways not all of which are verbal. Daily journaling is an excellent way to express your gra-tude and reflect on your life. As you write down your thoughts, make sure that you reflect on the posi-ve elements of the day. Challenge yourself to write down at least three things you are thankful for every day. Change your language. Depending on our life circumstances, it s easier for our self-talk to become nega-ve. Instead of focusing on the nega-ve aspects of your life, find the posi-ve and voice your gratefulness for those things. When we really start to examine our lives, we find that we have a lot to be grateful for. Most of us have food to eat, a place to live, a job, transporta-on and family and friends. Even if you don t have all those things, be thankful for what you do have. Grab some friends. Tell your friends that you are making an effort to be more posi-ve and thankful. Go one step further and ask them to walk with you on this journey. Surrounding yourself with grateful people will help you to be more thankful as well. Addi-onally, if you and your friends embark on a journey to be more grateful, you ll find your friendships will grow even stronger. Embrace your memories. Part of being thankful is remembering the good -mes. Embrace the fun you used to have or the laughs you once shared with old friends. Reflec-ng on your memories can help you be thankful for that -me in your life. Remember the good -mes, but don t forget the present.

3 Video Clips: Do You Know How Good Do You Have It? Louie Schwartzberg: Nature, Beauty, Gra-tude. Soulpancake: The Science of Happiness Jane Ransom: The Three Keys of Gra-tude

4 Do You Know How Good You Have It? How good is your life? Did you know your life was this good? Think of the worries you have in life: How big are they? How o?en do you let those worries over-shadow the good things in your life?

5 Louie Schwartzberg: Nature, Beauty, Gra-tude What are you grateful for? How does your gra-tude influence how you see your life? How do you life your life because of the gra-tude you feel?

6 Soulpancake: The Science of Happiness How could this be true? If this is true, how does it relate to you? When was the last -me you expressed sincere gra-tude to someone? (don t answer out loud, write down when and the person)

Jane Ransom: The Three Keys of Gra-tude Create a list of the things that you are grateful for (that happened in the last 24 hours). What are the three keys of gra-tude?

7 Jane Ransom: The Three Keys of Gra-tude Create a list of the things that you are grateful for (that happened in the last 24 hours). What are the three keys of gra-tude? How can you use these three keys of gra-tude in your life? What can you learn from Jane s story? The 3 Blessings exercise: At the end of each day, write down three things that went well that day (something you can be grateful for). At the beginning of each day, look at what you wrote about the day before and take a moment to be grateful for those things My Three Blessings of TODAY are:

10 MY GRATITUDE WHEEL

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words but to live by them." John F.

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words but to live by them." John F. Kennedy So, how do we live out gratitude as JFK suggests? Let s first