In these obviously difficult and challenging times, there are days when it just feels like too much to feel grateful.
Holiday traditions with family, travel, shopping, eating out; all of that is out, for those of us being careful. Families with school age children at home 24/7, antsy in front of their computer screens, all can make you want to hit the wall and scream; TV marathons are boring you to tears.
So how do we embrace…thankfulness, sincere gratitude for the ability to just wake up and breathe another day during this pandemic?
Try these 2 steps:
- Step 1: Say to yourself, “Brain, I get to choose.” And you do. Every moment of every day you make choices. Most are the same as the day before which is why all of your days may be running together.
- Step 2: Now, choose something new. The brain lights up when you give it something new. It creates the feel good chemical dopamine as it discovers something it never experienced before.
If you feel like one day is like the next, can’t remember the date or what day it is, chances are your brain is craving NEW.
– A new game can work.
My daughter and son in law shared their new Oculus virtual reality system with us. What an incredible experience. I was transported and I could feel my brain say… ohhhh, so happy! Something new.
– Challenge yourself to make something/anything new.
My daughter watched a YouTube video and learned how to make her own homemade bagels. She was so thrilled with how they turned out and the experience of doing something she’d never done before.
– Choose to face a fear.
This is tricky. We’re not talking about taking health risks like going maskless or socializing in a way that you could risk getting the Coronavirus. Not that kind of fear.
Choose to pursue something you’ve put on the back burner, but were too afraid to try.
Go back to school. Learn a new skill. Create the virtual event or book or podcast or start a home exercise program or whatever it is that scares the heck out of you, but you DARE to want to do.
The only thing that stops you is fear of failure.
That’s the kind of dare I’m talking about. That kind of risk. That is the kind of dare that will get your brain up and running again AND feeling grateful, you are well and healthy and get to choose… this is a choice.
This is you choosing, and when you do you’ll find, Ah-Ha… thankfulness, gratitude. You are still here, in this crazy upside down mad world. You still get to choose.
Do the new.
