Gratitude is the quickest, cheapest and most effective intervention for anxiety, fear and toxic thinking.
Anytime we can stop the negativity stream and introduce a moment of appreciation, it creates a small wedge of space that interrupts our racing brain. And it helps us cope with life’s difficult and scary experiences.
Not by fighting them. Not by running away from them. But by changing our relationship to them.
Like when life sends me into a fear and anxiety tailspin. For the first few minutes, I start practicing disaster. Forecasting and foreshadowing every possible negative thing that might occur.
But once I get exhausted from fighting back all those worse case scenarios in my head, I shift my thinking. I switch gears to gratitude. I start projecting one thankful moment after another onto the screen of my mind.
And within a few minutes, the inner force of fear has been quelled. And it’s clear that the world isn’t going to hell after all.
That’s why appreciative reflection is such a brilliant intervention. Gratitude makes us conscious that no matter how doomed we may seem, there are always things worth giving thanks for.
We just have to train ourselves to replace those feelings of dread with healthier responses.
And so, keep a jealous eye over yourself. When you notice your mind going to those dark places, remember that you can interrupt it any stage of the chain reaction. You can make yourself sick with sweet gratitude.
And you can change your relationship with fear.
LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What is your most potent vaccine for inoculating yourself against negativity?
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Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
Author. Speaker. Strategist. Inventor. Filmmaker. Publisher. Songwriter.
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