Email+9+The+5+Minute+Gratitude+Exercise

Email 9 = **The 5 Minute Gratitude Exercise** = Every human being at one point or another in their life faces certain challenges that consume them. Challenges such as:  Relationship challenges.  Work problems.  Health issues.  Financial challenges. The list is very long and keeps going. These issues grab hold and overwhelm you and your energy, sometimes to the point of physical exhaustion. They grab hold of you and at times you wonder if you will ever move forward. How do you lessen the grasp your challenges have on you and your energy? What can help you see the light at the end of the tunnel? Take a look at this exercise; it might help lessen the hold. It is said that the practice of acknowledging gratitude lessens the heaviness that challenges have on you, your energy, and your ability to see through them. With lessening the hold the problems have on you it will create space for new and more positive views on the situation. Here are the 7 steps that will help you, will take no more than 5 minutes… 1. For one minute ponder the issue that has consumed your energy. 2. Focus on how you are feeling as you think about the problem. 3. For the second minute think of something you are grateful for around that issue. For example: 4. Once you have identified that which you are grateful for, close your eyes and focus on it. Let your mind clear, your thoughts wander and soon more things you are grateful for will come to mind. It is said that positive thoughts attract positive thoughts. 5. As these thoughts speak to you, imagine there is a volume knob inside your head; make it a physical knob like the one on a car radio. Now envision you reaching out and turning up the volume on these thoughts of gratitude to a point where it is comfortable, but stretches you a little bit. 6. Just like that song that you crank up the volume because it feels good. Let this volume of gratitude fill you with that same sense. 7. Notice how you feel. Hold onto this feeling and when you feel yourself being brought down by the challenge, go find this feeling and think of another thought of gratitude to add. Use this exercise whenever you find yourself being sucked into the “woe-is-me” hole, or consumed by your problems, stop for five minutes and give this exercise a go. We can all triumph in life; beat down the beast called Challenge! -Lifebushido
 * · This layoff has made it difficult to pay my bills and I worry about where the money is going to come from until I find work. I am thankful my mortgage was paid off last year so that I do not have that expense presently.
 * · I am having problems with my significant other, I am thankful that I have my best friend whom I can talk to about this.