When I first started mentoring and coaching, one of the last things I thought to be worthwhile was a gratitude journal. In all honesty, I wondered what the point was and if I had time to do it.

This Sunday morning, writing down three things I am grateful for every day is an established habit. Today, whilst I struggle as my cat’s been missing for 24 hours, I am doing my best to remain in a positive space but why?

Maybe your like me and the lawyer in you has found yourself wondering, what value does positivity really have or is it a load of rubbish?!

As lawyers and legals, the pessimist outweighs the optimist in that we are trained to spot the worse case scenario for our clients. But what happens if that style of thinking in looking for the worse case scenario starts to seep into our daily lives?

Is there any evidence that being positive and grateful really changes anything at all? 

However, there is scientific proof when we think positively, we release serotonin our happy hormone which in fact enables our brain to make more neural synaptic connections. The result being we become more solution based in our thinking. The neural connections open up our brain to lots of new thoughts and ideas.

When we are negative, the opposite occurs as we release cortisone, our stress hormone. This hormone takes us to flight or fight mode, so we limit our options and the brain becomes physically unable to make the neural or synaptic connections. This in effect disables us and means not only are we are unable to find a solution, we stare straight at the problem.

The problem gets bigger and bigger, have you ever had that? 

When you just can’t see a way out and you feel stuck or like your banging your head against a brick wall? 

Tony Robbins says ‘Problems need energy to live’. My interpretation is the more negative energy you give to something, the more the problems lives, breathes and grows.

Where do you feel you need to be more positive?

What negative things in your life are you focusing on right now which is helping you stay stuck?

Instead write down three reasons why you can be grateful for where you are right now. Focus on those reasons all week.

Check out more with my youtube link here : https://youtu.be/YOgkoBo7uDI.

Lulu

Founder of Advocate My Success

http://www.advocatemysuccess.com

PS. Extend your gratitude list : write down 3 different things every day and see how your life starts to change. 

I promise you it will, you will open up to things you never even knew were there.