Unlocking Happiness:

In this episode of the Choosing Happy podcast, host Heather Masters dives into a simple yet transformative topic: the one thing you could change right now to be happier.

Heather discusses the science-backed benefits of gratitude, shares personal practices like maintaining a gratitude journal and expressing appreciation to others, and provides actionable tips for incorporating mindful gratitude into your routine.

The episode emphasizes the transformative power of shifting focus from what's wrong to what's right, ultimately fostering greater emotional well-being, resilience, and joy.

00:00 Introduction and Welcome

01:02 The Power of One Simple Change

01:58 Understanding Gratitude and Appreciation

04:37 Practical Ways to Cultivate Gratitude

11:00 The Science Behind Gratitude

15:15 Final Thoughts and Challenge

16:25 Closing Remarks

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Hello, beautiful souls.

2

Welcome back to another episode of

the choosing happy podcast, where

3

we explore the many ways to find

happiness, to cultivate happiness

4

and wellbeing in our everyday lives.

5

And more importantly, in our businesses

and our services and how we serve

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and how we show up in the world.

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I'm your host, Heather Masters, and

today we're diving into a simple yet

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transformative topic, the one thing

you can change right now to be happier.

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Before we get started, I want to thank

each and every one of you for tuning

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in, sharing your feedback and being

part of this incredible community.

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It really would help me if you

could like, share, comment, and

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if possible, leave a review.

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Your stories and experiences inspire

me and I hope that in some small way, I

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can return the favour by inspiring you.

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So let's jump right in.

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This week, we have this transformative

topic, the one thing you can

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change right now to be happier.

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So stay tuned for this week's

Choosing Happy podcast.

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/ Hello and welcome to the

Choosing Happy podcast.

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I'm Heather Masters.

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Happiness can often seem like an elusive

goal, a distant destination we're all

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striving to reach, but what have I told

you that a significant boost in your

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happiness could be achieved by making one.

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Simple.

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Just one simple change.

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It might sound too good to be true, but

bear with me while we go through this.

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The change I'm talking about is

shifting your focus again from what's

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wrong to what's right in your life.

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And I know a lot of

you struggle with that.

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I've really struggled.

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I'm getting so much better at it.

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And the answer is around creating

awareness and cultivating an attitude

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of gratitude or how I would describe it.

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I prefer to say the word is

an attitude of appreciation.

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Gratitude and appreciation

might sound like a cliche.

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It's something we hear about so often and

its profound impact easily be overlooked

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because we're kind of dismissing it

as something you've heard before.

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But the science behind

gratitude and appreciation and

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its effect on our happiness.

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is solid and compelling.

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Research consistently shows that

people who practice gratitude

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regularly experience greater

emotional well being, reduced stress

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and even improved physical health.

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And I wanted to cover a topic like

this right now because of everything

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that's going on in the world.

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I think we don't want to.

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Do you need a way of bringing our

focus back to what's truly important

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to us in this moment in our life?

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I really believe that we're

here to experience joy.

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And if we're not experiencing

joy, then the lesson, if you

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like, is how do you shift?

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How do you create that in your life,

even if you're going through hell?

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And I know a lot of us are struggling

with so much, with ill health, with

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financial challenges, whatever it is.

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I know we've all got our own

burdens at this moment in time.

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Never, probably never as strong as we have

at this moment on the planet globally.

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And it's about reaching for that

light, reaching for the thing that it's

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going to help us move through this.

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Move through it in a way that we

are experiencing as much joy as

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possible in our lives every day,

because you never know the minute.

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You never know what's going to happen.

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So, grasp the moment.

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Grasp the opportunity to create

joy, create appreciation.

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So how can you start incorporating

gratitude and appreciation

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into your daily routine?

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Let's look at a few simple yet powerful

practices you can begin right now.

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And I'll share what I've been doing

as well, because I've had a massive

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shift over the last few months.

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The first one is keep a gratitude journal.

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And this is one of the most popular

and effective ways to cultivate

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gratitude and appreciation.

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Each day, take a few moments to write down

three things that you're grateful for.

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And they don't even have to be.

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big things.

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I like to get a little bit deeper and

I write down something that I love.

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Even something as simple as a warm

cup of coffee, because for me, coffee

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is massive for me in the morning.

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It's really important to start my day.

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It could be a hot shower that

just wakes you up in the morning

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or a smile from a stranger.

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So, it's anything.

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What I like to do is think

about things I love as well.

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So, if I'm getting into a dark place, I'll

take a moment to think of three things.

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That I love, whether it's my son,

I get into the experience of the

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last time I was with him and seeing

his smile and feeling his hug and

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just appreciating his very being.

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And the key to all of this is consistency.

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One of the other things I do every day is

in my gratitude or appreciation journal.

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I actually take the time at the end

of the day to list down everything

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that I've appreciated about the day.

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What have been the wins?

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What have been the things that

have made a difference to me?

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What have I received

that I'm grateful for?

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Even if it's something small, Like, I

don't know, an email from a long lost

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friend who I've lost contact with.

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I'll write that down as a

received, something I appreciate

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that I've received that day.

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And I love doing that

just before I go to sleep.

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There is also studies around

appreciation before you go to sleep.

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It helps you sleep better.

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It puts you in that appreciative,

high frequency state so that you

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have a restful, beautiful sleep.

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And over time, you'll train your brain to

focus on positive aspects of your life.

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Which can lead to a significant

boost in your overall happiness.

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Number two is expressing

gratitude to others.

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Just taking the time to express your

appreciation to those around you.

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So, I often, again, with my son,

just drop him an email, drop him

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a direct message, just reminding

him how much I appreciate him.

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A simple thank you, a heartfelt message,

just a verbal acknowledgement can go

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a long way, especially in business.

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Just thanking them for their

contribution is really, really

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important and can go a long way.

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Not only does it make the other person

feel good, it reinforces your own sense

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of gratitude and connection and also

helps strengthen your relationships.

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And what's more important

than relationships?

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Number three.

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Mindful gratitude.

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And this is one that has

mercifully made a difference to me.

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So, incorporating gratitude into your

mindfulness or meditation practice.

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So, when you do your meditation

or mindfulness practice,

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Really sitting in that

energy of appreciation.

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So really feeling

appreciation in your body.

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What, you know, where in your body is it?

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How strong is it?

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Can you make it stronger?

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Reflecting on things that you're

thankful for, on times when you really

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felt immense gratitude for being alive.

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And allowing yourself to fully

experience the feeling, letting

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them wash over you, but also really

noticing, really connecting with

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where they are in your body as well.

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And this practice can help anchor you in

the present moment and shift your focus.

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Perspective towards positivity.

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And as I say, the real difference for

the mindfulness for me, though, that

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really shifted everything, noticing

where the feeling of appreciation

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was in my body, what it felt like,

what the images I associated with

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it, could I make them brighter?

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What was my.

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energy like when I really sat in

this moment of appreciation and being

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able to just let go and let it wash

over me and doing that on a regular

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basis and also visualizing that

appreciation flowing through my day.

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So visualizing my day and seeing it all go

really well and just being grateful, just

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appreciating that life is working for me.

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That everything happens is for me,

and it's a lesson, it's a learning and

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appreciating everything as it unfolds.

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That that was, that's

made a massive difference.

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It's been one of the biggest shifts

for me being able to really, not just

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think about appreciation, but absolutely

immerse myself in appreciation in

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a mindfulness and meditative way.

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I hope that's helping.

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So, let's talk about why

appreciation and gratitude work.

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At its core, gratitude shifts your focus

from what you lack to what you have.

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It's a powerful counterbalance

to the natural human tendency to

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dwell on negatives and positives.

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problems.

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When you actively practice appreciation,

you're training your brain to look

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for the good things to appreciate,

the small joys and blessings that

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might otherwise go unnoticed.

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Moreover, gratitude, as we said earlier,

can really improve your relationships.

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Because when you are in appreciation,

you're more likely to thank people,

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to express gratitude for them.

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And it fosters a sense of connection

and strengthens your bonds.

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You're more open with people.

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People feel valued and seen, and

that creates a positive feedback

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loop of kindness and generosity.

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And gratitude also

enhances your resilience.

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And this is really The reason for

this episode, because life is full of

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challenges and setbacks, never more

than at the moment, but a grateful

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and appreciative mindset helps you

navigate these difficulties with a

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greater sense of hope and optimism.

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It raises your vibration.

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It reminds you that even in tough times,

there are still things to be thankful

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for, and that can make all the difference.

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It can make the difference in what

we focus on and that, in terms of

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consciousness, can make a difference

to the planet, to humanity,

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to your life, to your future.

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Now, I know that starting a new habit can

be daunting, especially if you're feeling

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overwhelmed or stressed, but the beauty

of gratitude and appreciation is that it

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doesn't require a lot of time or effort.

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It's about small, consistent actions

that gradually shift your outlook

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and bring you more joy in life.

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My practice really began with using

headspace and just spending 10 minutes

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a day doing a meditation first thing

in the morning, doing my journaling,

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and as I say, 10 minutes on an evening

journaling about what I've appreciated

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throughout the day and what's gone well.

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what I've learnt and how it's

impacted me in a positive way.

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The final comments I'll make, um,

this is just a personal thing.

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Um, but I, I don't use, I think gratitude

and appreciation have a different energy.

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And I remember as a child being

told to be grateful for what I have.

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And that was said in such a

way that it kind of meant.

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That if I was wanting more, I should

just be grateful for what I have.

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So that, that's kind of a

limiting way, which is why I

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prefer the word appreciation.

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There is no limit to appreciation.

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There's no kind of cutoff.

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You know, there's no obligation

to feel appreciation.

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So that is why I prefer

the word appreciation.

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I do think it has a different

energy and that's just something to

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be aware of because I've noticed.

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If I feel gratitude for something, I have

found myself restricting myself because

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of that belief around wanting more.

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Gratitude is not a limitation.

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Appreciation is not a limitation.

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It's about enjoying what you have and

being open to receive so much more.

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Appreciation and gratitude, if put

into the right energy, if you're

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really visualizing and stepping

into the feeling of appreciation.

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It will attract more of the same to you.

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You attract those moments

that you are appreciating.

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So here's my challenge for you this week.

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Start a gratitude or rather

an appreciation practice for

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yourself, whether it's a journal

expressing thanks to someone.

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A few moments of mindful reflection,

appreciation at the end of the

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day of how the day has gone.

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Commit to incorporating appreciation

into your daily routine.

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And notice how it makes you

feel and pay attention to any

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changes in your mood and outlook.

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And one little tip is to, if you

do an appreciation journal in the

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morning, appreciate ahead of time

all the good things that are going

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to happen throughout the day.

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So watch how your day unfolds.

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And remember, happiness isn't

about having a perfect life.

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It's about appreciating the beauty,

nature and the blessings you already have.

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in your life and by focusing on

appreciation and gratitude, you're

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choosing to see the good, to acknowledge

the positives and to cultivate a

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mindset that embraces happiness.

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Thank you for joining me today

on the Choosing Happy podcast.

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It's episode 70, so I'm celebrating.

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I hope this episode has inspired you to

make that one change, to shift towards

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appreciation and the love of life and

unlock a deeper sense of happiness.

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If you've enjoyed the episode, please

subscribe, leave a review and share it

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with someone who might benefit from a

little bit more happiness in their life.

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Until next time, stay

happy, stay grateful, stay

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appreciative and keep choosing.

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Thank you so much for taking the time

to listen to this week's episode.

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If you enjoyed it or think it would be

valuable to others, please do share.

235

And if you really enjoyed

it, please leave me a review.

236

It really helps the podcast.

237

All of the links are in the show notes.

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And I look forward to seeing you next

week on the Choosing Healthy podcast.