Watershed Solutions Blog

Posts Tagged ‘Gratitude’

Images courtesy of Photography by Chaiwat/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

A dream will always triumph over reality, once it is given the chance. ~Stanislaw Lem, Polish writer

Success means doing the best we can with what we have. Success is the doing, not the getting; in the trying, not the triumph. Success is a personal standard, reaching for the highest that is in us, becoming all that we can be. ~Zig Ziglar, American motivational Speaker and Author

History has demonstrated that the most notable winners usually encountered heartbreaking obstacles before they triumphed. They won because they refused to become discouraged by their defeats. ~Bertie Charles Forbes, Financial journalist and author

Always seek out the seed of triumph in every adversity. ~ Og Mandino, American Essayist and Psychologist

The secret of success is to find the need and fill it, to find a hurt and heal it, to find somebody with a problem and offer to help solve the problem. ~ Rev. Robert H. Schuller, Pastor, speaker, motivator and author

On Nov. 5, 2010 I finally cut my hair. My journey began in the summer of 2007 when my mom got sick with cancer and I decided to grow my hair for donation.

My Mom: Image Courtesy of Wendy Woods

After numerous chemo treatments that summer, my mom was affected like many others and lost all her hair.  It was a devastating and stark reminder that she was fighting a life threatening illness.  Fortunately she was able to afford a custom designed wig to exactly match her natural color as well as cut.  It was so perfect that if you didn’t know she was sick, you never would have guessed that beautiful hair wasn’t hers.

My mom’s wig helped her feel beautiful, and as normal as possible, at a time that was anything but.  I was so pleased that something seemingly so small could make such a wonderful difference. Her wig was a small link back to her life as a vibrant and healthy woman.

Me with my hair donation – finally!: Image Courtesy of Wendy Woods

The significance of my mom’s wig got me thinking. What about all the other women who couldn’t afford a great wig or even one at all?  How did they manage their hair loss and the dramatic change in their appearance?  Growing and donating my hair was one small way that I could contribute and help other women feel beautiful during treatment.

My sister and I kidding around after the big cut!: Image Courtesy of Wendy Woods

Three years later, when my hair reached the required length, I decided that Nov. 5^th (the third anniversary of my mom’s passing) would be the day to make the cut.  I was so happy, and know my mom would have been too, that my sister joined me on such an important and emotional day.  Her presence meant so much to me and made me feel as if my mom’s spirit was in the salon with us.  Later that night I celebrated my donation with food, wine (yes lots) and wonderful friends.

While my three year journey was over, there are many women with cancer who are just beginning theirs. Please consider making a hair donation (see hair requirements http://bit.ly/hrpQbE) because it’s a contribution with a big beautiful impact.

Thanks so much Beth!

In last week’s blog, we took a look at Optimism in a great book by Adam Jackson called The Flipside. Here are a number of ways you can easily boost your Optimism.

1. Act “as if” you are optimistic. By looking for benefits, opportunities and even trying after failure, we will experience the same results as optimists and then start to feel optimistic (The Flipside, Jackson).

2.Express Gratitude. Gratitude fosters a glass half full approach and grateful individuals have higher levels of optimism (Emmons and McCullough, 2003). The next time something goes wrong, try to see the silver lining and consider the positive implications that may not be evident.  Remember it takes time to change a habit, as long as month, so be patient as you cultivate greater gratitude.

3. Assume the best. Visualize and imagine the best case scenarios as it will change how you approach the situation: it may increase the chances of a positive outcome.

“If you have the courage to begin, you have the courage to succeed.” ~David Viscott

“A goal is a dream that has an ending.” ~Duke Ellington

“A friend is one who sees through you and still enjoys the view.” ~Wilma Askinas

“Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.” ~Marcel Proust

“Anything that is of value in life only multiples when it is given.” ~Deepak Chopra

“The speed of the boss is the speed of the team.” ~Lee Lacocca

“You will never be a leader unless you first learn to follow and be led.” ~Tiorio

“It’s no exaggeration to say that a strong positive self-image is the best possible preparation for leadership in life.” ~Dr. Joyce Brothers

-”There is only one success- be able to spend your life in your own way.” ~ Anonymous

1. Increases your job satisfaction and promotes loyalty to your employer (Podsakoff, Mackenzie, Paine, and Bacharach, 2000).The next time an aspect of your work causes negative feelings, write down what you love about your job and remember why you are grateful for this position.

2. Raises your productivity. Research found you are a more energetic and optimistic employee as a direct result of your gratitude (Emmons and McCullough, 2003).  Find small things to be grateful for in your daily life, such as the person who serves you coffee in the morning or your transportation to work.

3. Enhances your adaptability. A grateful person is more likely to substitute feelings of bitterness and resentment towards a difficult task with appreciation and acceptance (G.E Vaillant, 1993). The next time you face a challenge at work, rather than letting it frustrate you, appreciate what you will accomplish by overcoming the challenge.

4. Improves your communication skills. Expressing gratitude towards your colleagues as well as strangers will result in them being more open to communicating with you (Goei & Boster, 2005; Okamoto & Robinson, 1997).You can accomplish so much with a communicative co-worker.

5. Boosts your health. In a recent study, individuals who focused on being grateful rather than on not being angry were found to positively impact a variety of important physiological functions such as improved heart, pulse, and respiration rates which can have a positive impact on health and reduce stress (McCraty, Atkinson, Tiller, Rein, and Watkins, 1995).  Instead of feeling guilty that you can’t get to the gym, take a moment to be grateful for the little things  you do have time for.

6. Builds your personal satisfaction (Wood,  Joseph & Maltby, 2009).  If you are happy with your accomplishments, you will be more supportive of your co-workers’ success.  The next time you resent a colleagues’ achievement, stop and express gratitude for what you have achieved.

7. Reduces depression. Gratitude fosters a glass half full approach since grateful individuals have higher levels of optimism (Emmons and McCullough, 2003) which can also help you maintain emotional stability. The next time something goes wrong, try to see the silver lining and consider the positive implications that may not be evident yet.

8. Promotes cooperation among you and your co-workers can lead to a positive organizational culture (Podsakoff, Mackenzie, Paine, and Bacharach, 2000).

9. Motivates you to achieve your personal goals (Emmons and McCullough, 2003).  Expressing gratitude for completing each stage of the process will inspire you to keep going until you meet your goal. The next time you set a goal for yourself, divide it into smaller objectives and acknowledge each step you accomplish.

10. Strengthens your immune system. According to Lisa Aspinwall at the University of Utah, a study compared the immune systems of healthy, first-year law students under stress. By midterm, students characterized as optimistic maintained higher numbers of blood cells that protect the immune system, compared with their more pessimistic classmates.

Let me share a story that brought home the importance of friendship and how truly rare good friends are.  My father has been suffering from a radiation ulcer for months and none of the many treatments or surgery seemed to work.  He was growing frustrated and certainly wasn’t his energetic and positive self. What made the situation worse is that my sister and I live miles away and my dad hadn’t been sharing his symptoms with us.

I became really concerned after my dad and I talked one  Sunday so I tried to reach him the next morning.  My instincts were right something was terribly wrong.  It was a good friend of my father’s, thank you Leonard, who had the wisdom to take him to the emergency department that day.  I am so grateful that he did because my dad was dehydrated, diagnosed with a kidney infection and ended up in the hospital for a week.

Not only did Leonard bring him to the hospital but stayed with him all that first day and then returned after dinner. He has either visited or called my father every day since.   My dad’s other friends have helped in many ways including finding him second medical opinions, helping my sister get my dad’s old car returned and his new car in order and offering to take me to my dad’s office in case I had forgotten the directions.  All of these people really stepped up when my dad, and we, needed them most.

The real friends in our lives can be counted on one hand. I’m talking about the friends you can call in the middle of the night to take you the hospital, or the ones who check in with you constantly when you’re dealing with the terminal illness of a loved one or the ones that simply show up without even being asked.

These friends are true gifts because you-can-count-on-me-a-crisis friendships are all too rare. Take a moment this week to acknowledge and express your gratitude for these wonderful friendships in your life.