The Integram:
an Integral Enneagram of Consciousness; a model of consciousness,
including all aspects, for designing practical paths of personal
development and evolution.
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Gratitude Attitude
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The Words in Our Heads
I have
Gratitude as the second to last section of the “Essential 10 Minutes”™
journal practice, just before the Free Writing section for a great
reason. It re-directs filters and lenses we may be perceiving through to
a more resourceful place.
That makes this section extremely powerful, not only for its own impact,
but for its compounded impact when linked to the earlier sections. Not
to go into the whole practice (I’m working on a short online course and
workbook for that) but basically, when we get to this section, we’ve
already identified and embodied core values, designed a Future Vision,
and reverse engineered Goals to get there, based those values.
Gratitude gets much more into how we feel about these Values and
who we actually are when they’re embodied. This gets our entire brain
more involved in the process, as the more our feelings can be
verbalized, the more wiring we’re doing. More on that in a bit.
It’s far easier to find things to be grateful for than we might think.
Going back to those values, we can simply be grateful for having them;
perhaps more grateful for the opportunities to express them. I can be
grateful that I value patience, as it reinforces my desire to be
patient. If you have an ability that brings you and others joy, that’d
be something to be grateful for any day. It gets easier and easier as
you do it.
Worst case scenario, you can be grateful for whatever works, instead of
looking at what doesn’t. I’ve had lots of injuries in my life, and there
were times when I needed to be grateful that only one leg was broken, or
only one rotator cuff was torn. I’ll repeat that I’m saying worst case
scenario.
The Physical Impacts
Gratitude
affects us on several levels. First, there are biochemical changes that
take place when we focus our attention on gratitude (increased dopamine,
serotonin, etc.) The more these neurotransmitters are flowing, the less
the fight, flight, freeze neurotransmitters are in effect. In this way,
we’re more likely to approach free writing -- or anything really -- with
a much better, more resourceful state of mind. That gives us better
results overall, and of course has a positive impact on our mood as
well.
Another important impact of Gratitude is in how we increase the amount
of wiring in our brains. We used to think that primary logic centers
were in the left hemisphere, and spatial relationships and non-linear
thought were in the right hemisphere. We now know that the brain is more
like an orchestra, and many different areas work together to affect how
and what we think and feel.
Again to not get too neurosciencey, recent studies show that most
emotional, and reactive functions are happening in areas behind the
prefrontal neocortex, where our logic and executive functions live.
Wiring them together, using language to describe feelings creates a two
way street, and we become far more aware of what we’re feeling and why,
as well as how to express it.
It also gives us the ability to make some space for a Mindful response,
as we don’t simply bypass our analytical in reaction. The more we think
about and express what we’re feeling, the more different areas of the
brain cross wire, and we open up neural capacities previously untapped.
White matter grows with increased usage, (neuroplasticity) so we
literally increase the density and strength of this cross-wiring. As IQ
is primarily a function of the ability to take in, process, and use
information, the increased wiring leads to higher IQ. Aw, shucks.
Now we’re in a more resourceful state of mind, employing logic and
feeling together in harmony, creating richer experiences and more
diverse problem solving capabilities.
You might think of
it as being more “creatively analytical” or more “analytically
creative.”
Back to the Words in Our Heads
Another
interesting experiment is playing with how the words we choose can feel
more active or passive, and which feels more authentic for us. For
example, to say “I’m grateful for the loves I’ve had in life,”
puts me on the receiving end of gratitude. To say “I
appreciate the loves I’ve had in life,” puts me in the active
role of appreciating. You’ll likely use some of each, and I
personally use both, as I like covering all the bases. For example:
I’m grateful for and I appreciate having a roof over my head,
and food in my refrigerator.
Give yourself the space to feel appreciation and gratitude for what you
already have. To re-focus attention on what we have instead of what we
lack, shifts our perspective from negative and skeptical to positive and
optimistic, from scarcity to abundance. Obviously this is a much
healthier and more resourceful state of mind to start the day with, and
it helps put a smile on your face
Want to learn more about how to become the best you possible?
How your communication can hold you back or catapult you forward?
Come visit the
web site,
or better yet,
contact me and
see how we can design a program to fit your needs and desired outcomes.
- Ian J. Blei
****************
Special Offer -
November
has a holiday that's dedicated to gratitude. Sure other things happen
that can take us to the glass being half empty, but how does that serve
us? It makes more sense to put our minds into a resourceful state,
so that we make more intelligent choices. We can do this. We can improve every
aspect of our lives using a process that uncovers resources you never
knew you had. Come check out what's on "special"
this month.
****************
Resource Links:
IanBlei.com
- responsive code site
The Integram
- the podcast series
Kind
Ambition
-
3rd Edition
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Welcome to the Conscious Communication Chronicle, sharing
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The Optimizer
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