Aspire Magazine: Inspiration for a Woman's Soul.(TM) Aug/Sept 2016 Aspire Mag Full Issue | Page 74

3 4 74 A  ssess the positive life experiences you are grateful for: When we are feeling low, it can seem as if life has always been stressful or unfair. We need to remind ourselves of all the good we’ve experienced. When you look back at your life thus far, what journeys and moments have brought you the most joy and satisfaction? Perhaps it was a concert you attended as a teenager, a college course you loved, graduation, a great project at work, a promotion, a painting you worked on for weeks, a vacation to Europe, or volunteering at the soup kitchen. Close your eyes and bring yourself back to those experiences, breathe them in, then go out and experience some more of what life has to offer. 5 6 D  etermine the negative life experiences you are grateful for: We can spend quite a bit of time ruminating over the negative experiences we’ve had in our lives, and even allow them to taint our present experiences. The irony however, is that if we really think about it, the challenges we face often provide us with the greatest wisdom and transformation in our lives. Instead of allowing previous challenges to poison our minds, we can consider what gifts they have given us. Whether it’s an argument with our partner, loss of a job, loss of a home, car accident, or serious illness, we learn something about ourselves and gain strength that propels us toward something different or sometimes even better. www.AspireMAG.net | August / September 2016 R  eflect on what external resources you are grateful for: Each of us has external resources to draw comfort from, whether it’s a home, food on the table, money to pay the bills, good health, a reliable vehicle, or a great job opportunity. When we are feeling that we do not have enough, its critical to remind ourselves of everything that we already have. P  onder what external shortages you are grateful for: It may seem counterintuitive, but we can even be grateful for shortages in our lives. Perhaps living on a shorter