Thank you so much for your interest in The Insight, by Sheba. I hope you enjoyed this week’s blogs about “Gratitude.”

Next week’s topic will be “Causes of Stress.”

Friday Review: Happy Reading!

1. A Strength.

• Gratitude is probably one of the easiest strengths to build. All it takes is a simple “thank you!” and not only do you build that strength, but also you brighten someone else’s day. Don’t hesitate to exercise gratitude.

 2. Just Do It!

• People should not give to receive, but think about the message that is sent when an act of kindness is not even acknowledged. To prevent this from happening and to offer the benefit of the doubt, communicate how you feel and set expectations for the future. It takes no effort to express appreciation. A simple “thank you” note, email, text or phone-call to show your appreciation is just fine. People just want to know that their act of kindness was not in vain. When you do it doesn’t matter, just do it!

 3. Imagine.

• We gain a new sense of appreciation and discover a new meaning for gratitude when we imagine what our lives would be like without what we might come to describe as annoyances. Over time, we tend to take the things that make us happy for granted. Challenge yourself. Think about what your life would be like without something you are grateful for. You might renew your appreciation.

4. Why?

• It’s easy to read about improvements in other people’s lives, but you won’t experience all of the benefits of gratitude until you practice it for yourself. You can simply offer gratitude for the air you breathe. Practicing gratitude affects you and those that surround you.

 The Insight: Gratitude is small and simple, and it doesn’t take a whole lot of effort to offer it, but the impact it has on our lives, in our relationships and on our health and well-being is enormous. Strengthen your character and you relationships. Improve your life. Just say “thanks!”

Have a wonderful weekend!

By Sheba

www.bySheba.com

A Positive Perspective for Life, Love, and Relationships

The Scenario – You’ve heard it a million times, “be thankful.” Great! What is the big deal about being grateful everyday?

Can gratitude improve outlook and well-being?

A study conducted by Robert A. Emmons, Ph.D., and Michael E. McCullough, Ph.D., on the effects of gratitude, particularly in relationships, found that practicing gratitude daily correlates to improvements in attitude and overall well-being. Those who practiced gratitude daily experienced improvements in:

1.       Affect

• Increases in positive affect and decreases in negative affect

2.       Sleep

• Better quality sleep in longer increments of time

3.       Life satisfaction

• Greater satisfaction with well-being and life as a whole

4.       Expectations

• Greater optimism and expectations of their relationships in the weeks to come

5.       Physical activity

• Devoted more time to maintaining physical fitness

(Read More)

The Insight – It’s easy to read about improvements in other people’s lives, but you won’t experience all of the benefits of gratitude until you practice it for yourself. You can simply offer gratitude for the air you breathe. Practicing gratitude affects you and those that surround you.

Why else is it so important?

By Sheba

www.bySheba.com

Creating Positive Perspectives for Life

The Scenario – We can easily become agitated with inconveniences, like sharing the remote with your spouse, eating at restaurants you don’t like for the sake of the kids, having the dreaded Monday morning “what did you do this weekend” conversation with uninterested your colleagues, and the list goes on. Rarely do we stop to think about what each of those annoyances offer our lives and how grateful we are that they exist.

Does our perspective on life really make a difference in attitude?

A study conducted by Minkyung Koo, Ph.D., Timothy D. Wilson, Ph.D., Sara B. Algoe, Ph.D., and Daniel T. Gilbert, Ph.D., on the “George Bailey Effect,” a reference to the popular Frank Capra film, sought to discern any significant difference in emotional response according to how people assess the things in life for which they are most grateful. The perspectives analyzed were:

 1.       Absence

• The researchers found that when people imagined what their lives would be like without the things they were most grateful for, their affect was greatly altered.

2.       Presence:

• Participants showed little alteration in affect when simply identifying the things in their lives for which they were most grateful.

(Read More)

The Insight – We gain a new sense of appreciation and discover a new meaning for gratitude when we imagine what our lives would be like without what we might have come to describe as annoyances. Over time, we tend to take the things that make us happy for granted. Challenge yourself. Think about what your life would be like without something you are grateful for. You might renew your appreciation.

Can you name five things that you are grateful for everyday?

By Sheba

www.bySheba.com

Creating Positive Perspectives for Life

The Scenario – Have you ever showed a simple act of kindness and not received acknowledgement for it–like sent gifts and never received so much as a phone call to say “thank you?” At first you thought, “what kind of person does that?” but then those thoughts turned into feelings of unappreciation and feeling insignificant to that person. Perhaps you should send them a copy of this blog post.

Is there a right way to give thanks?

Susan Krauss Whitbourne, Ph.D., author of The Search for Fulfillment, offers five suggestions to keep in mind when giving or receiving thanks:

1.       Be gracious

• When receiving thanks, keep it simple. Acknowledge the other person’s gratitude as an act of kindness then express your own appreciation for their thoughtfulness.

2.       Identify discomfort

• If you are uncomfortable receiving gratitude, search within yourself to find out why. Know that you are deserving of gratitude. If you have difficulty receiving it, recognize you may also have difficulty giving it.

3.       Find reasons to give thanks

• Look for things in your life or simply in your day that you can give thanks for, and offer it. Practice being thankful.

4.       Make it a point to give thanks

• The longer you wait to say thanks, the more difficult it will be, but you must do it no matter how late!

5.       Be brief but sincere

• The task is less daunting if you don’t plan something elaborate. You can be sincere without writing a novel to say thanks.

(Read More)

The Insight – People should not give to receive, but think about the message that is sent when an act of kindness is not even acknowledged. To prevent this from happening and to offer the benefit of the doubt, communicate how you feel and set expectations for the future. It takes no effort to express appreciation. A simple “thank you” note, email, text or phone call to show your appreciation is just fine. People just want to know that their acts of kindness are not in vain. When you do it doesn’t matter, just do it!

Have you forgotten to acknowledge someone’s kindness?

By Sheba

www.bySheba.com

Creating Positive Perspectives for Life

The Scenario – You wouldn’t think it takes muscle or strenuous exercise to offer gratitude, but it is definitely strength. Each time we practice gratitude, we strengthen and build our personal character and the esteem of someone else.

How do we assess gratitude?

In his book, Authentic Happiness, Martin E. P. Seligman, Ph.D., lists gratitude as one of 24 character strengths that we may or may not possess. He describes gratitude as a high appreciation for another person’s exceptional moral character, emphasizing the meaning for the Latin root of gratitude—gratia, meaning “grace.”  To measure gratitude, ask yourself:

1.       How often do I say “thank you,” even for little things?

• Measure yourself on a five-point scale, five being very often, and one being never.

2.       How often do I stop to count my blessings?

• Measure your response on a five-point scale, five being always, and one being never.

(Read More)

The Insight – Gratitude is probably one of the easiest strengths to build. All it takes is a simple, “thank you” and not only do you build that strength, but you brighten someone else’s day. Don’t hesitate to exercise gratitude.

Is gratitude one of your character strengths?

By Sheba

www.bySheba.com

Creating Positive Perspectives for Life