In my hand I held the gift, feeling disappointed.
Somehow, I had hoped for more.
Every time I thought of the gift afterward, I was plagued by guilt.
I kept telling myself: “Eve, don’t be so ungrateful!”
But it just wasn’t working.
This pattern repeated itself over and over throughout the day: I thought of the gift, I felt disappointment, then I felt guilty and scolded myself for being so ungrateful.
At some point, I noticed my thinking error.
I kept thinking “Don’t be so ungrateful”. So all the time my focus was on what I should NOT do, instead of what I should actively do – that is, to be GRATEFUL.
Immediately I changed my inner message and told myself: “Eve, just be grateful.” And immediately all the things I was grateful to this person for came to mind.
It was as if I had opened a door and liberated myself with this simple adjustment.
Instead of feeling guilty, I now felt an inner freedom and focused on positives and possibilities!
Pretty awesome, right?
Next time you notice you’re feeling bad, ANALYZE your thoughts.
Are they judgmental?
Do they focus on what you should NOT do?
What do you actually want to do instead?
And that’s exactly what you should start thinking from now on.
Have fun trying it out!
