Gratitude
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RRL Warmup
30 Overhead Squats
10 Push-ups
10 Ring Dips
10 Pull-ups
5 Muscle Ups
Jump Rope (Singles), 3 mins
20 GHD Sit-ups
20 Hip Extensions
20 Toes To Bars
12 Wall Balls
12 Toes To Bar
x 5 rounds
For time
Gratitude
8 minutes
We often do a Gratitude exercise here at the RRL. It is easy and starts your day or week off with an underlying theme of gratefulness and gratitude. Gratitude is one of the most powerful states that anyone can put themselves in. Be thankful for what you have and you will have much more to be thankful for.
Start by envisioning a small circle around your own heart. Be thankful for your heart, what it allows you to do, your health, your happiness. Go as deeply here as you wish.
Push the circle out to the next most important group of people in your life. For many, that is their wife and children. It may be different for you. Clearly see each of their faces in your mind. Think of the unique qualities that each of them have and be thankful for them. Clearly see them doing something in your mind that you think about that brings thanks and gratitude for having them into your life. Maybe it is simply the way they smile or laugh or maybe it is watching your child do something funny or play a sport. Maybe it is your wife on your wedding day or your daughter running to you and giving you a hug...whatever it is, see it clearly before moving on. Fill yourself with gratitude for these people being in your life.
You could stay here for the remainder of the time or you can move on. Sometimes, when I get to a particularly powerful and clear image, I just stay on it for the remainder of the time. That is fine because we are simply trying to reach a state of gratitude. You don't have to feel guilty about leaving something out. You are ALWAYS going to leave something out. We all have so much to be thankful for that there is no way a simple 8 minute meditation could ever possibly cover all things. Just get where you are grateful and stay or be happy acknowledging it and moving on.
Push the circle out to the next group of people in your life. Maybe it is your parents, sisters, brothers, cousins, uncles, nieces, nephews. See them briefly in your mind and be thankful for them. Be thankful for their health even if they are suffering right now. Be thankful for the good things in their life. It could always be worse so celebrate the good rather than focusing on the bad. Be thankful and grateful.
Move the circle out further to your friends, your business associates, the people who you work for, the people who work for you. Be thankful for each of them.
Be grateful and thankful for your business, your success, the success that you have had in the past and the opportunities that are presenting themselves daily for future success.
Push the circle out farther and be thankful for where you live, safety and freedom.
Push out farther and be thankful for your country and the people who protect and defend it.
Push out farther and be thankful and truly grateful that you live on this planet, that you have a life here, that you are alive and alive with all of these people who you are thankful for.
At this time, your 8 minutes are likely up. Bring your breathing back to one breath every 5 seconds both in and out. Gently revive yourself and notice how good you feel. Keep the feeling of gratitude close to your heart and be grateful for everything today.
This is a very simple explanation of this powerful exercise. Of course, we sometimes go longer...maybe 30 minutes or more and often I will focus on small things somedays and really big things the next.
The point is that gratitude is really the secret to success. This small, short exercise will put you on a path to being and remaining thankful and grateful daily. It will clear your head and shut down the monkey mind chatter. You can not think of negative thoughts while you are having positive thoughts and this exercise brings together all of your favorite things. Bringing your favorite things together in an exercise like this is a great way to start the day or the week.
This is a great time to give this a try after your workout. Thanksgiving is in just a few days and we all have so much to be thankful for. Give thanks daily.
