The Formula That Changed It All: A Practice of Gratitude

I was born with angst, and was especially good at worrying about pretty much everything. 

A lot of that angst was, and is, a part of my DNA, built long before I was born, and the rest I built into normal, everyday habits. 

Worry and angst, was the first place I went with just about anything, but especially when there was stimuli that was stressful. 

The problem is that we are taught that life by nature is filled with it.

What we aren’t taught is that life’s stressors are such a small percentage of the equation, what matters is how we react to it.

For those of us that have worry and angst as the first place our minds want to go to, it becomes a very hard lesson to learn.

Let’s start with the basics…

Remember, our brains are built to recognize patterns, to find the quickest way to get from point A to point B.  It is how habits begin.

Our brains are built to see, and put energy into what we focus our attention on. 

So if we focus on negative thoughts, negative stressors, negative anything, our brain is going to find more negative to validate it, because our brains want to find the patterns.

If we begin our day with something negative (even if it is just watching the news), our brains are taking notes and is already looking for the next negative thing to continue the pattern.

If however, we use this skill differently, and start our day with something positive, our brains will take notes and look for the next positive thing to continue the pattern.

Now, this is where the magic begins…

We aren’t just going to start our day with “something positive”…

We are going to start our day with what has been a labor of love of mine, a practice evolved, for the better part of the last 10 years, into what it is today.

Without further ado…

Let me present a simple formula…

A formula to build differently, and with intention.

A formula to build new neural pathways in our brains, and new paths for ourselves.

A formula to up the ante on “something positive”

A formula to start our day with a Practice of Gratitude.

Grab a notebook and a pen.

Let’s start the practice of Gratitude x 3 (G3 for short).

Each morning, begin your day with writing down three things you are grateful for. 

Start each of those three things with “Thank you, Thank you, Thank you”.

Some days it will be easy. 

Dig deep on these days, the deeper you dig, the more transformative it becomes.

Some days it will be hard. 

On days like this, if all you can think of is that fact that you can see, walk, or breathe; write about how grateful you are for it.

Always three things, and always starting with “Thank you, Thank you, Thank you”.

If you are wondering why 3, not 4 or more?….

I’m glad you asked…

Psychology says that it is easier for our brains to remember and process information when it is organized into 3 parts.

The Greek Philosopher Pythagoras (yes, the one that created the Pythagorean Theorem) believed that the number 3 was “the sum of reality; the beginning, middle, and end of everything equaled 3”.

We, as people, group countless things into 3s, here are just a few:

Past, present, future

Morning, noon, night

Yesterday, today, tomorrow

Mind, Body, Spirit

A baseball game only numbers 3 bases

Whether it’s good news or bad, we wait with bated breath, for we know they come in 3s.

The list goes on and on…

The power of 3, combined with the power of gratitude and intention, tricks our brains into finding more positives, so the patterns can be found.

The more it’s repeated, the easier it is to focus on it.

The easier it is to focus on, the more energy our brains put into it, and the stronger the thoughts become.

Remember the real power lies in the seed, not the tree.

Do the formula without fail, with a good old fashioned pen and paper.

Do it honestly, with your whole self.

Do it consistently for 14 days without fail.

One simple formula is how…

I build different…with intention

Thought…by thought…

So can you…