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S H A U R I C E M U L L I N S I N T E R N AT I O N A L - N C H D Q 7427 Matthews-Mint Hill Road, Ste. 105 #192 Mint Hill, NC 28227 Office: 877.355.0638 www.shauricemullins.com 1. Changing your attitude mindlly. An "attitude of gratitude" is the highest way of thinking and can sometimes be the hardest. To be very honest, gratefulness must be in your attitude towards life and its events. No matter the obstacles or challenges in your way, there is always something to be grateful for. Many people have a natural tendency to complain, with a "this is awful" mindset that is expert at finding the negative in every situation. Changing your attitude requires strength and positive self-talk. You must empower your mind to turn a blind eye to the negatives and wire your brain to focus on and improve the positives. A simple example would be applying a positive twist to "I've never done it before" and changing that to "It's an opportunity to gain experience, and who knows, that might end up big?" The same goes for overwhelming your mind with not only negative thoughts but also thoughts for the future and past. Mindfulness is rare in today's hyperactive world, and there has not been a need for it more. #2. Approval of the bad and good days If you are grounded enough to accept and embrace the good and bad occasions in your life, you have what it takes to be genuinely grateful. People who tend to run away or hide themselves when life strikes are those who refuse to see things as they are, thereby working themselves up for the brighter side and pushing away the darkness, thinking it will fade away on its own. But that is where they are wrong. In a never-ending loop of denial, we fail to be grateful for the minute things amidst the overpowering challenges. Thus, cultivate approval of everything – be it a termination, a promotional hike, a change of city, or a change of heart – to become grateful for when things are better. #3. Admiration of yourself and others I cannot stress the importance of self-care enough in cultivating empowerment or, in other words, the feeling of being free and grateful. Admiration played a pivotal role in my life. Being a single mother was tough, and as everyone rightfully believes, parenthood tends to make us forget ourselves fast enough. Juggling a struggling career and a kid was a herculean task, but I did not forgo my self-care routines at any point in my life. You must admire yourself enough to be grateful for who you are and how your life is. If you are not happy with yourself, you can forget about being happy with anything else. Unhappy people, in consequence, hop on a vicious cycle of hunting happiness in places and with people who cannot give it to them. They end up being irritated, ungrateful, and bitter. We can identify the bitter people around us within seconds. They have a particular way of thinking and speaking. We can also do the same for the grateful souls around us. They are like a bright side to everything, just like windows opening in a dark room with their thoughtful perspectives and positive speech. Besides the obvious benefits of gratefulness, science really has proven that such an approach helps significantly prolong your life. Let us start being grateful from this point onward. Share one thing you are thankful for today. Give it good thought! VUENJ.COM 53

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