Do you often feel that you aren't taking in as much of the joy around you as you could? I recently caught myself feeling this way, and based on a suggestion by John Horton, coauthor (合著者) of The Inner Game of Stress, I put myself on a 30-day life-appreciation course.
The only assignment each day was to go outside and appreciate life.
So I started by taking in the beauty around me. During the first few days, I was able to appreciate my surroundings, although it was an intellectual appreciation, not an emotional one.
After the first week, it was more uncomfortable to lie in bed and think about things than it was to get up and see them for myself.
If you often wake up feeling anxious or depressed, or if you don't look forward to each day, then you need to try this course for yourself.
It's an inner workout that you can do anywhere. It may not change your life, but it will adjust your attitude, and that's pretty helpful in this crazy world.
I have always believed in ending the day on a positive note by writing a word or two in a gratitude journal and saying something sweet to my wife about the day we shared.
Now, I have a new morning habit. It hasn't changed my routine one bit, but it has changed the way I look at the world.
Creating a new habit isn't about perfection – it's about getting what you want by creating a change in your behavior and thinking.
So now, while I'm making my coffee in the morning, I'm also appreciating what I have.
It's quick, fulfilling, and a much better way to start my day than looking at my phone or computer.
And because of this, my attitude is better, as I've already begun my morning on a positive note rather than a problematic one.
The idea here is that if you can appreciate your life, it actually changes the way you feel about it.
Appreciation will give you more energy to live the way you would like to live.
As a means of improving our mood, it's highly underrated (被低估的). The easy task of appreciating what we have simply makes life better.
