Episode 70 - The One Thing You Could Change Right Now To Be Happier

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Hello, beautiful souls.

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Welcome back to another episode of

the choosing happy podcast, where

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we explore the many ways to find

happiness, to cultivate happiness

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and wellbeing in our everyday lives.

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And more importantly, in our businesses

and our services and how we serve

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and how we show up in the world.

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I'm your host, Heather Masters, and

today we're diving into a simple yet

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transformative topic, the one thing

you can change right now to be happier.

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Before we get started, I want to thank

each and every one of you for tuning

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in, sharing your feedback and being

part of this incredible community.

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It really would help me if you

could like, share, comment, and

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if possible, leave a review.

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Your stories and experiences inspire

me and I hope that in some small way, I

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can return the favour by inspiring you.

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So let's jump right in.

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This week, we have this transformative

topic, the one thing you can

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change right now to be happier.

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So stay tuned for this week's

Choosing Happy podcast.

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/ Hello and welcome to the

Choosing Happy podcast.

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I'm Heather Masters.

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Happiness can often seem like an elusive

goal, a distant destination we're all

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striving to reach, but what have I told

you that a significant boost in your

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happiness could be achieved by making one.

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Simple.

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Just one simple change.

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It might sound too good to be true, but

bear with me while we go through this.

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The change I'm talking about is

shifting your focus again from what's

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wrong to what's right in your life.

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And I know a lot of

you struggle with that.

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I've really struggled.

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I'm getting so much better at it.

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And the answer is around creating

awareness and cultivating an attitude

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of gratitude or how I would describe it.

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I prefer to say the word is

an attitude of appreciation.

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Gratitude and appreciation

might sound like a cliche.

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It's something we hear about so often and

its profound impact easily be overlooked

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because we're kind of dismissing it

as something you've heard before.

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But the science behind

gratitude and appreciation and

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its effect on our happiness.

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is solid and compelling.

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Research consistently shows that

people who practice gratitude

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regularly experience greater

emotional well being, reduced stress

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and even improved physical health.

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And I wanted to cover a topic like

this right now because of everything

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that's going on in the world.

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I think we don't want to.

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Do you need a way of bringing our

focus back to what's truly important

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to us in this moment in our life?

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I really believe that we're

here to experience joy.

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And if we're not experiencing

joy, then the lesson, if you

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like, is how do you shift?

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How do you create that in your life,

even if you're going through hell?

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And I know a lot of us are struggling

with so much, with ill health, with

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financial challenges, whatever it is.

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I know we've all got our own

burdens at this moment in time.

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Never, probably never as strong as we have

at this moment on the planet globally.

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And it's about reaching for that

light, reaching for the thing that it's

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going to help us move through this.

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Move through it in a way that we

are experiencing as much joy as

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possible in our lives every day,

because you never know the minute.

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You never know what's going to happen.

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So, grasp the moment.

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Grasp the opportunity to create

joy, create appreciation.

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So how can you start incorporating

gratitude and appreciation

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into your daily routine?

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Let's look at a few simple yet powerful

practices you can begin right now.

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And I'll share what I've been doing

as well, because I've had a massive

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shift over the last few months.

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The first one is keep a gratitude journal.

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And this is one of the most popular

and effective ways to cultivate

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gratitude and appreciation.

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Each day, take a few moments to write down

three things that you're grateful for.

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And they don't even have to be.

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big things.

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I like to get a little bit deeper and

I write down something that I love.

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Even something as simple as a warm

cup of coffee, because for me, coffee

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is massive for me in the morning.

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It's really important to start my day.

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It could be a hot shower that

just wakes you up in the morning

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or a smile from a stranger.

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So, it's anything.

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What I like to do is think

about things I love as well.

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So, if I'm getting into a dark place, I'll

take a moment to think of three things.

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That I love, whether it's my son,

I get into the experience of the

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last time I was with him and seeing

his smile and feeling his hug and

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just appreciating his very being.

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And the key to all of this is consistency.

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One of the other things I do every day is

in my gratitude or appreciation journal.

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I actually take the time at the end

of the day to list down everything

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that I've appreciated about the day.

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What have been the wins?

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What have been the things that

have made a difference to me?

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What have I received

that I'm grateful for?

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Even if it's something small, Like, I

don't know, an email from a long lost

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friend who I've lost contact with.

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I'll write that down as a

received, something I appreciate

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that I've received that day.

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And I love doing that

just before I go to sleep.

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There is also studies around

appreciation before you go to sleep.

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It helps you sleep better.

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It puts you in that appreciative,

high frequency state so that you

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have a restful, beautiful sleep.

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And over time, you'll train your brain to

focus on positive aspects of your life.

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Which can lead to a significant

boost in your overall happiness.

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Number two is expressing

gratitude to others.

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Just taking the time to express your

appreciation to those around you.

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So, I often, again, with my son,

just drop him an email, drop him

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a direct message, just reminding

him how much I appreciate him.

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A simple thank you, a heartfelt message,

just a verbal acknowledgement can go

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a long way, especially in business.

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Just thanking them for their

contribution is really, really

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important and can go a long way.

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Not only does it make the other person

feel good, it reinforces your own sense

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of gratitude and connection and also

helps strengthen your relationships.

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And what's more important

than relationships?

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Number three.

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Mindful gratitude.

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And this is one that has

mercifully made a difference to me.

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So, incorporating gratitude into your

mindfulness or meditation practice.

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So, when you do your meditation

or mindfulness practice,

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Really sitting in that

energy of appreciation.

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So really feeling

appreciation in your body.

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What, you know, where in your body is it?

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How strong is it?

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Can you make it stronger?

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Reflecting on things that you're

thankful for, on times when you really

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felt immense gratitude for being alive.

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And allowing yourself to fully

experience the feeling, letting

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them wash over you, but also really

noticing, really connecting with

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where they are in your body as well.

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And this practice can help anchor you in

the present moment and shift your focus.

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Perspective towards positivity.

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And as I say, the real difference for

the mindfulness for me, though, that

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really shifted everything, noticing

where the feeling of appreciation

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was in my body, what it felt like,

what the images I associated with

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it, could I make them brighter?

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What was my.

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energy like when I really sat in

this moment of appreciation and being

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able to just let go and let it wash

over me and doing that on a regular

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basis and also visualizing that

appreciation flowing through my day.

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So visualizing my day and seeing it all go

really well and just being grateful, just

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appreciating that life is working for me.

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That everything happens is for me,

and it's a lesson, it's a learning and

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appreciating everything as it unfolds.

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That that was, that's

made a massive difference.

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It's been one of the biggest shifts

for me being able to really, not just

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think about appreciation, but absolutely

immerse myself in appreciation in

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a mindfulness and meditative way.

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I hope that's helping.

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So, let's talk about why

appreciation and gratitude work.

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At its core, gratitude shifts your focus

from what you lack to what you have.

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It's a powerful counterbalance

to the natural human tendency to

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dwell on negatives and positives.

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problems.

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When you actively practice appreciation,

you're training your brain to look

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for the good things to appreciate,

the small joys and blessings that

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might otherwise go unnoticed.

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Moreover, gratitude, as we said earlier,

can really improve your relationships.

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Because when you are in appreciation,

you're more likely to thank people,

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to express gratitude for them.

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And it fosters a sense of connection

and strengthens your bonds.

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You're more open with people.

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People feel valued and seen, and

that creates a positive feedback

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loop of kindness and generosity.

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And gratitude also

enhances your resilience.

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And this is really The reason for

this episode, because life is full of

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challenges and setbacks, never more

than at the moment, but a grateful

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and appreciative mindset helps you

navigate these difficulties with a

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greater sense of hope and optimism.

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It raises your vibration.

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It reminds you that even in tough times,

there are still things to be thankful

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for, and that can make all the difference.

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It can make the difference in what

we focus on and that, in terms of

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consciousness, can make a difference

to the planet, to humanity,

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to your life, to your future.

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Now, I know that starting a new habit can

be daunting, especially if you're feeling

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overwhelmed or stressed, but the beauty

of gratitude and appreciation is that it

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doesn't require a lot of time or effort.

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It's about small, consistent actions

that gradually shift your outlook

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and bring you more joy in life.

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My practice really began with using

headspace and just spending 10 minutes

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a day doing a meditation first thing

in the morning, doing my journaling,

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and as I say, 10 minutes on an evening

journaling about what I've appreciated

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throughout the day and what's gone well.

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what I've learnt and how it's

impacted me in a positive way.

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The final comments I'll make, um,

this is just a personal thing.

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Um, but I, I don't use, I think gratitude

and appreciation have a different energy.

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And I remember as a child being

told to be grateful for what I have.

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And that was said in such a

way that it kind of meant.

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That if I was wanting more, I should

just be grateful for what I have.

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So that, that's kind of a

limiting way, which is why I

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prefer the word appreciation.

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There is no limit to appreciation.

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There's no kind of cutoff.

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You know, there's no obligation

to feel appreciation.

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So that is why I prefer

the word appreciation.

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I do think it has a different

energy and that's just something to

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be aware of because I've noticed.

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If I feel gratitude for something, I have

found myself restricting myself because

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of that belief around wanting more.

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Gratitude is not a limitation.

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Appreciation is not a limitation.

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It's about enjoying what you have and

being open to receive so much more.

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Appreciation and gratitude, if put

into the right energy, if you're

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really visualizing and stepping

into the feeling of appreciation.

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It will attract more of the same to you.

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You attract those moments

that you are appreciating.

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So here's my challenge for you this week.

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Start a gratitude or rather

an appreciation practice for

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yourself, whether it's a journal

expressing thanks to someone.

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A few moments of mindful reflection,

appreciation at the end of the

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day of how the day has gone.

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Commit to incorporating appreciation

into your daily routine.

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And notice how it makes you

feel and pay attention to any

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changes in your mood and outlook.

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And one little tip is to, if you

do an appreciation journal in the

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morning, appreciate ahead of time

all the good things that are going

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to happen throughout the day.

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So watch how your day unfolds.

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And remember, happiness isn't

about having a perfect life.

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It's about appreciating the beauty,

nature and the blessings you already have.

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in your life and by focusing on

appreciation and gratitude, you're

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choosing to see the good, to acknowledge

the positives and to cultivate a

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mindset that embraces happiness.

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Thank you for joining me today

on the Choosing Happy podcast.

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It's episode 70, so I'm celebrating.

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I hope this episode has inspired you to

make that one change, to shift towards

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appreciation and the love of life and

unlock a deeper sense of happiness.

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If you've enjoyed the episode, please

subscribe, leave a review and share it

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with someone who might benefit from a

little bit more happiness in their life.

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Until next time, stay

happy, stay grateful, stay

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appreciative and keep choosing.

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Thank you so much for taking the time

to listen to this week's episode.

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If you enjoyed it or think it would be

valuable to others, please do share.

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And if you really enjoyed

it, please leave me a review.

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It really helps the podcast.

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All of the links are in the show notes.

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And I look forward to seeing you next

week on the Choosing Healthy podcast.