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DAY FIVE: YOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD

What do you like about the neighbourhood you live in? The friendly people and helpful neighbours; the tree-lined streets or the corner shop; enticing window displays or fresh bakery bagels; children playing on the shared grass, or the view from the window? Every neighbourhood has its good points, though sometimes we may feel we have to search hard to find them. And it often seems as if local attractions are enjoyed more by visitors than by people who live in the area. Take time out several times today to delight in the good points of your locality, and let gratitude rise up in you – and overflow.

PASS IT ON: Who are the lonely people living close to you? Make time to chat to an elderly neighbour – you may be the only person they speak to today!

SOME OF THE CONTENTS OF 'ALIVE AND GRATEFUL'

INTRODUCTION
HOW TO USE THIS BOOK
GRATITUDE SWAP
..............
DAY NINE: MEMORIES
DAY TEN: BOOKS
DAY ELEVEN: TRANSPORT
DAY TWELVE: THE WEATHER
DAY THIRTEEN: FOOD & DRINK
..............
DAY TWENTY FIVE: HUMOUR
DAY TWENTY SIX: THE LOCAL SHOPPING CENTRE
DAY TWENTY SEVEN: PRESENTS
DAY TWENTY EIGHT: IRRITATIONS
..............
DAY TWENTY NINE: TIME TO REFLECT (1)
DAY THIRTY: TIME TO REFLECT (2)
THE JOURNEY’S JUST BEGINNING

DAY FOUR: SPECIAL PEOPLE
We all need other people; people to be there for us, people who will laugh with us and sometimes cry with us; people who support us and encourage us, but also care enough to correct us; people who accept us and love us as we are. Despite the message that Hollywood sends, it is unusual to find all that we need in just one person. We are so multifaceted as human beings that usually it takes a whole raft of singular individuals to bring out the best in us.

Who are the special people in your life? Spend some time thinking about them today: why they are important to you, what they contribute to your well-being, and what you particularly appreciate about them. Speak aloud your gratitude.

PASS IT ON: Send a card or note, or make a phone call or personal visit to tell someone why they are special to you.

DAY THREE: YOUR TIME
You may be employed, retired, unemployed, self-employed or a full time home-body; today’s challenge is about your labour, or non-leisure time, whether it is spent cleaning the house, at an office desk, or flying an aeroplane.

Which aspects of your work are you grateful for? Perhaps it’s that you have the necessary health and strength for today’s task, or perhaps you are just grateful to have paid employment? Maybe the starting or ending times fit in with your family life, or you love working in the comfort of your own home? Perhaps you enjoy the camaraderie of the office, or appreciate the understanding of your employer; alternatively, it might be the solitude of a particular occupation which makes your heart sing?

The way we spend our days can be the source of much grumbling – especially on Monday mornings! Now is the time to buck the trend, SWAP* the negatives, and start to find things to appreciate.

PASS IT ON: Whatever you do today, work at it with all your heart.

GRATITUDE SWAP

Swap negativity for delight, grumbles for appreciation, complaint for celebration.
Swap a mind-set and change your life.

For gratitude to take root in our lives and become habitual, we have to go through a process of exchanging one pattern of thinking for another. Many of us rush through our lives without pausing - unless from exhaustion; however, learning to be grateful means we have to take time to develop new habits.

This is where the GRATITUDE SWAP comes in:

STOP: Our first step into appreciation is to stop every so often during the day, to refocus and notice the world around us. So often we pass through life unheeding and unseeing. This is the time to call a halt, literally, and take note.

WONDER: So many of us have lost our child-like sense of wonder; it’s time to get it back. Take time to notice, really notice the world around you….. the veins in this leaf, the sunlight on that hair, the scent of fresh cut grass, the laughter of a child….. Look at things as if for the first time: see shapes and patterns, feel textures and surfaces, hear rhythms and sounds, smell and taste foodstuffs. Whatever the focus for the day, don’t be tempted to dash it off in order to tick the box; take time to really look, savour and enjoy.

ARTICULATE: It’s not enough to just feel a warm glow within. Gratitude to be really effective needs to be expressed. What you say aloud has an effect on your mental, emotional and physical health, as well as on your performance - as your subconscious mind picks up its cues from what comes out of your mouth. So get into the habit of expressing your pleasure aloud: ‘I am so glad that……’, ‘I love this…..’, I am so grateful for….’ And if you’re aware of someone who has provided the blessing, then of course, thank them.

PASS IT ON: We have all experienced how the atmosphere changes when someone enters the conversation with a carping, critical attitude. We too can change the climate around us depending on whether we choose negativity or appreciation. Gratitude isn’t meant to pool up inside us, it’s meant to overflow; to spill out on our families and communities. Cultivating an attitude of gratefulness is an opportunity to infect the world – one small act at a time. Try it and see…..

DAY ONE: YOURSELF

Your physical body in fact! (We’ll come on to other aspects later….) Maybe you feel this is a
deal-breaker right here? Many, many people have problems with self-image and focus on
the aspects they would like to change, rather than the positive things about themselves. We
are surrounded with air-brushed media images of the perfect look, and have been sold the
lie that this is normal. As a result we worry and fret about physical appearance; rising
numbers seeking plastic surgery, or falling prey to eating disorders in their pursuit of this
insidious illusion. It’s time to fight back!

Today’s gratitude challenge is about focusing on the good things about your body. Have a go
even if you find it difficult - for a change in this particular attitude will bring about real
freedom. Can you find 10 things about your body that you appreciate?

Does some or all of it work properly? Think about your internal organs – you are breathing –
right? What about externally – which parts are strong and healthy? Which parts do you like?
Have you got nice nails, a good head of hair, strong teeth? Which parts of your body, or
aspects of your appearance would someone else in a challenging situation be very happy to
trade?

Take time to SWAP a negative attitude for gratefulness: STOP, WONDER, ARTICULATE and
then….

PASS IT ON: Compliment a friend or family member on their appearance – or even better, a
stranger!