Saturday, February 28, 2009

Gratitude Bracelets: How Jewelry Can Keep You Positive

By Deanna Collins

It's easy to get bogged down in life's problems. When the going gets tough, we always have two options. We can allow circumstances to take away our motivation and defeat us or we can rise to the challenge. A gratitude bracelet is one aid to staying positive, even when the odds seem stacked against us.

The Importance of Gratitude

It may seem like a small consolation when you consider there is always someone in a worse predicament than yourself. When life seems to be on a steady decline, recognize the areas in which you are blessed. By doing this you are taking a big, powerful step towards the beginning of a brand new positive outlook on life.

It can be hard to be detached and view situations objectively. A pessimistic attitude compounds the problem. As in depressive illness, things seem worse than they actually are. The worse things seem, the more likely we are to interpret subsequent events in our lives in negative terms. It becomes a downward spiral.

A pessimistic attitude can be appropriate in certain situations. Finding a balance and seeking for ways to keep perceptions and reactions in their rightful place is the key to ensuring misplaced optimism or denial does not evolve into situations as damaging as any negative attitude. The most important focus point regarding our experiences and the counterbalance is as important as gratitude itself.

And Just What Do I Have To Be Grateful For?

Many of us don't even come close to recognizing the many things we have to be grateful for. If people don't count their blessings in life, it is quite easy to take the positive aspects for granted. By keeping a journal of things to be grateful for has been proven as an effective tool to enhance the happiness we feel. By keeping a record of the many things we can be grateful about on a daily basis could include such things as an appreciation of our friends and family, the journaling of our children's milestones or anything else you are grateful for. By searching for and documenting the positives in your life, it can be quite amazing to see how long the list is of times or things that deserve their own gratitude.

How a Gratitude Bracelet Helps Maintain a Positive Attitude

The key to using gratitude as a tool for maintaining a positive attitude is regular reinforcement. Gratitude journals work by reminding ourselves on a daily basis of the good things in our lives. A gratitude bracelet can work in a similar way. Every time you put it on, take it off or look at it during the day, it can remind you of the many reasons you have to be happy - no matter how many you have to be discontented.

You could wear a gratitude bracelet as a general reminder of the positive things in your life or choose a bracelet with beads that symbolize particular things that enrich your life: people, pets, health, and nature. Choose a color that will remind you of the eyes of a loved one or a material whose feel reminds you of something you have and love.

Once there is a positive connection made between you and your gratitude bracelet there will be an endless number of opportunities to be reminded of the positive things in your life. Consider giving a gratitude bracelet as a gift, and not only are you blessing that person with the opportunity to remember their personal reasons of gratitude, they will also think of you as the person who gave them this priceless chance to remember all other reasons they have to be grateful. - 15634

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