gratitude: in your job search and in your life · gratitude physically changes your brain research...

Gratitude: In Your Job Search

and In Your Life

November 27, 2018

JENNY BEILSMITH

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough.” Melody Beattie

1. Gratitude Quiz2. Benefits of Gratitude3. Practicing Gratitude

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Gratitude ResentmentAngerAnxiety

Humans can’t feel both emotions at the same time.

Which emotions are you choosing during your job search?

Gratitude is more than feeling thankful for someone or something, it is about having a deeper

appreciation for someone or something which produces longer lasting positivity.

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How Grateful

are YOU?

Question A:

I have so much to be grateful for in my life

Question B:

If I had to list everything that I felt grateful for, it would be a very long list.

Question C:

When I look at the world, I see so many things that inspire gratitude.

Question D:

I am grateful to a wide variety of people.

Question E:

As I get older, I find myself more able to appreciate the people, events and situations that have been part of my life history.

Question F:

I feel grateful to something or someone several times a week, sometimes even a few times a day.

Your score total= ____

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6 to 18 PointsAlthough your life may not seem to be brimming over with blessings right now, your gratitude quotient -- and your sense of happiness and fulfillment -- can grow exponentially if you put your attention on those things that are working for you. Cultivate a practice over time, and you'll start to discover a gentle shift in perspective that can have a profound effect on your life.

19 to 31 PointsAlthough you feel grateful for the things that warrant it (a kind gesture, a generous offer), you tend to view gratitude as a back-end response, rather than as an initiative. See what happens when you practice being proactive about gratitude, receiving whatever comes your way with an open heart (as opposed to waiting for someone or something to earn it). This way you'll begin to experience the full power of gratitude at work.

32 to 42 PointsYou're well aware of the power of gratitude and the role it plays in your relationships, your work, and your spiritual growth. And although you may have become very good at receiving and cultivating it, the greatest challenge is to feel it even in the face of disappointment and pain. Make it a personal goal to hone your skill so that you can tap into it even during more trying times.

This quiz was adapted from the "Journal of Personality and Social Psychology" (2002) published by the American Psychological Association.

“THE MORE YOU EXPRESS GRATITUDE FOR WHAT YOU HAVE, THE MORE LIKELY YOU WILL HAVE EVEN MORE TO EXPRESS GRATITUDE FOR.” Zig Ziglar

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Benefits of Gratitude

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Gratitude physically changes your brain

Research reveals why gratitude is a happiness booster.

It "suggests that the more practice you give your brain

the feeling of expressing gratitude, the more it adapts to

this mindset -- you could even think of your brain as

having a sort of gratitude 'muscle' that can be exercised

and strengthened... the more of an effort you make to

feel gratitude one day, the more the feeling will come to

you spontaneously in the future."

In short, practicing gratitude seems to kick off a healthful, self-perpetuating cycle in your brain -- counting your blessing now makes it easier to notice and count them later. Christian Jarrett sums up the research:

"The more you practice gratitude, the more attuned you are to it and the more you can enjoy its psychological benefits."

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Practicing Gratitude

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Write yourself a future Letter of Gratitude

At the end of 2019, I am so grateful and thankful that …

What are you doing? What are you feeling?Who are you being?

Gratitude is a choice.

How are you going to spend the

1,440 minutes of today?

Practicing gratitude allows you to stay in momentum, attracting more good and joy into your life no matter what challenges you are facing right now.

Jenny BeilsmithCoach, Author, Speaker, TrainerPhone: 314-324-5366Email: jbeilsmith@sbcglobal.net