Tidbit Tuesday - Practicing Gratitude

Hello,

Welcome to another Tidbit Tuesday where we aim to teach you something new about health, nutrition, lifestyle, training, and so much more, every week!

Today we are talking about the Practice of Gratitude!

Life is busy! And it can be easy to miss some of the little things in life when we are hyper focused on work or constantly trying to reach our next goal.

Your quality of life is in direct proportion to the degree of gratitude you are present to.

When we are focused, we are present.

Being focused and present takes effort. You must want to create the life that you desire, and that is a daily endeavor.

The one question that can help you create meaning:

How can I show up today, for myself and others, in a way that we may all experience a great day?

Now, this doesn't mean you're aiming to make every day the best day of your life. That simply isn't possible.

But every day can be a great day, or at the least it can be a good day. It is about showing up with intention and a positive mindset to give your best effort on any given day.

Whether that is a hard day at work tackling endless problems. Achieving a great physical feat. Or just having a lazy day at home with your family.

Either way, be at peace with all things that are out of your control.

Ask yourself:

"Does being frustrated about the things I can't change serve me? Does this state add value to my life?"

When you are upset about something out of your control, I can guarantee the answer is a resounding "NO".

Remind yourself:

"At this moment, things are as they are. I can't change it, right now."

So how do we show up each day with the intention of making it great?

Focus on the things that you can control.

The one thing we can truly control is how we react to any given situation.

Again, what happens to us and around us is largely out of our control, but we can control how we react to those things.

What state would you like to be in, majority of the time? Begin each day meditating, reflecting, feeling the state you want to be in.

It will become your default mode.

We all get stuck in traffic from time to time. Fall behind on a project or our never-ending to-do list. All while time keeps passing us by and we feel like we will never get where we want to be.

But, once you realize that time is going to pass you by regardless, you might as well tackle each day with a positive mindset and an outlook that things will work out over time.

Because every day that you show up and give your best, is one day closer to where you want to be.

One day you will look back at the mountain of achievements that you didn't even realize you were accomplishing!

The one quality you need to help this time and effort pass you by, is gratefulness. When you are grateful for each day, every opportunity, the good and the bad, you will transform your life.

Second, leading a great life is unfulfilled if you have no one to share it with. And I don't mean a significant other.

Serving others is the key to fulfillment.

Those who give their time add value to our lives. The more value you add to others the more valuable you become.

When you see the best in people and speak that into them, you manifest greatness all around you!

In any given situation you can focus on the pro's or the cons. Whichever you choose will directly reflect the quality of your life.

You don't have to choose to only focus on pro's or only on cons. But you do have to choose how much time you give to both.

Face your challenges, how can you learn and grow from them?

80/20 - 80% on the pro's and 20% on the cons.

Sometimes we don't believe in ourselves, but others do. There are times when we must believe in the beliefs that others have in us, until our own beliefs can catch up.

Breathe belief into those around you. Become infectious and add value!

Acknowledge and appreciate those in your life. By being grateful for them and the opportunities that they bring into your life.

The best way to practice this, start and end your day with gratitude.

You only need a few minutes. Assess, what mindset will best serve you today? Who can you serve today? And what is one thing you are grateful for?

This can transform your day, which, when consistently practiced, will transform your identity!

Identity manifests into reality.

Upgrade your identity by consistently assessing your mindset and qualities that you want to embody.

Next, you must align your behaviour with the best version of yourself.

This is an opportunity for, almost, instant transformation!

You may not instantly SEE the results. But your mindset and actions can change overnight. Don’t get caught up on the things you see. Progress is happening before your eyes whether you see it or not.

The results will come when you consistently embody your best identity.

Changing your whole identity can be daunting. Instead, change your identity in one aspect of your life.

Maybe you want to change the version of you at your job, at home, as a father/mother, spouse, or how you show up in your friendships.

This is an opportunity to let go of anything you consider a limitation, any aspect you consider holding you back, and commit to living your new identity.

Let go of who you have been, for who you can become!

It won't be easy. It may not happen overnight for you. But if you consistently show up, put in the effort, challenge your negative thoughts, and replace them with positive thoughts, it will happen.

It's only a matter of time!

So, to start, try taking these 4 steps as recommended by Hal Elrod.

1. Ask yourself, "are there any areas of my life that I am settling for mediocrity in?" Are you okay with that? Or do you want/deserve more?

2. Are there aspects of your identity that are holding you back?

3. Define your upgraded identity, in any area of your life. What is the mindset and qualities you will embody, and what behaviours will you implement?

4. Review your upgraded identity EVERYDAY! Constantly assess your thoughts and actions to align with your upgraded identity.

That last step is crucial!

We must be constantly aware of ourselves. Our self-talk and how we treat ourselves. If you had a child; would you allow them to talk negatively about themselves?

No!

So why talk poorly about yourself?!

Change your mindset, change your life!

Start today. What are you grateful for?

Happy reflecting!

Your friend in health & fitness,

Coach Sean