As you focus on things you’re
grateful for,
listing them becomes easier because
you’re
training your brain to notice them.
Your brain
processes zillions of pieces of
information
every day, and it has to filter out
the
unimportant stuff, which is most of
it. But if
you know that later you’ll be making
a list of
things to be grateful for, your brain
no longer
discards those as unimportant;
instead, it
notes them. When this happens,
suddenly the
world seems a lot more positive—you
start
noticing so many more things to be
grateful
for.
This also gives you twice as many
chances to
enjoy the positive experiences of
your life: now
you’re more likely to notice each
positive
experience and appreciate it as it’s
happening,
and you get to enjoy it again when
you think
about it for your gratitude list.
Furthermore, by
focusing on the positive right before
going to
sleep, you put your mind into a
positive mode
for the night.11
On top of that, positivity attracts
more
positivity. People are drawn to
positivity like
23
plants to the sun, and as you become
happier
and more positive, people sense it.12 Have you
ever seen someone so happy, you
couldn’t help
but smile just to watch him or her?
Even small
things like smiling and saying hello
or holding
the door for a stranger can make them
warm
to you and act friendlier.
There are also other gratitude
exercises that
can put you on the fast track to
happiness.
Instead of listing any five things
that you’re
grateful, have a theme of the day and
list the
top five for that: best books,
favorite foods,
hobbies, treats, people, songs,
colors,
textures... the possibilities are
endless.
If you want to step it up a notch,
you can take
a few minutes two or three times a
day to
really savor a small experience.
Instead of
rushing on, pause and concentrate on
enjoying
whatever it is: a flower, fall
leaves, a dish of
ice cream, the sun on your face, an
unusual
moment of quiet. Or create your own
moment
by taking time out to think about
something
that brings you joy. Savoring life’s
pleasures
and sharing them with others is an
effective
way to increase your happiness.
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