mackmo21

This is wonderful... I started doing this on my own, and was discussing with my hubby. We have "weekly check-ins" where we go over family items, dicuss where things are at with the kids, how things feel in our home, how we are feeling personally and as a couple, and what we currently need from one another. This has been amazing for our relationship! We decided to make this gratitude journal part of our check-ins. A few things I have loved: "What you focus on expands, and when you focus on the goodness in your life, you create more of it." Tal-Shahar suggests thinking of five things each day you are truly grateful for, and watch how the goodness in your life will expand because you will be focusing on goodness and gratitude. He talks about how most attempts at change FAIL, because of a focus on self discipline and will-power. He asks readers to define very simple daily rituals that will ultimately lead to an important goal, and then, one at a time, incorporate each ritual until it is as much a habit as brushing your teeth. He says " if we hold our personal happiness as a value and want to become happier, then we need to form rituals around that too..." or habits and behaviors that support those values. He highly encourages exercise as a ritual, and I found it interesting that people diagnosed with major depressive disorder who exercised thirty minutes three times a week did as well as patients taking antidepressants. Those on meds were FOUR times more likely to relapse than those who exercised. He did not say they were by any means the same, or that nobody needs medication, but said "not excercising is like taking a DEPRESSANT." Wow. He talks of the importance of leisure or PLAY, the need to create meaning in our lives. So far, I am finding so much of this book laced with messages on letting go of perfectionism, finding the lessons in everything, cultivating authenticity and practicing it daily, forgiving ourselves for imperfections and "failures, and finding meaning and joy in the journey of life as we learn to live whole- heartedly and with gratitude.

2022-11-14 16:28