Saturday, October 13, 2012

A Note on Gratitude & Overcoming Fears

I've never seen Josh Radnor's HappyThankYouMorePlease film, but I love the first line of the trailer:
"The key to your life is gratitude; you do not give enough thanks...say 'thank you'."
 It's a simple suggestion that can bring about a complete overhaul of one's attitude. I'm sure the film goes more in depth on the concept, but I just wanted to scratch the surface myself. I'm going to challenge myself to challenge myself to say "Thank You" at least 5 times a day for the next 3 days and see what effect it will have on my overall mood.This challenge reminds me of Loving Kindness Meditation practice that improves your feelings towards humanity. So, I vow to make a conscientious effort to say genuine "Thank You's" to any and everyone I come across at least 15 times over the next 3 days, and I will report back to you guys with the results.

And, this is semi-related, but not really, I just stumbled upon this old gem of mine on YouTube, and I wanted to share it again here! A little background information: At my dear old Alma mater Duke, there is this plaza strip that a bunch of students cross daily to get to class, the Bryan Center, to pass out handout supporting various causes - EVERYTHING.


I still laugh out loud at the fake email address given at the ending! I mean, I think I'm funny. But, this just got me to thinking - this "plazaphobia" pretty much can translate to any public space nowadays. Merely walking the sidewalks of the outlet malls you can see people glued to their phones or simply on a one-track-path towards their destination, not bothering to acknowledge others. Well, in the same vein of giving more thanks, I think I'll add another challenge for myself to directly speak to a stranger at least once for the next 3 days. I'm just coming up with the challenges off the top of my head, but again, I'll let you know the results, if any!

So, go forth and be grateful today! And, maybe even challenge yourself to overcome something you find awkward. Y'know, if you're not busy doing anything else this weekend. :-)

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