Time for change: 21 days of gratitude

Transformation is not made with bold sweeps, but achieved in steady increments. Try this 21 day challenge for creating change in your life.

Sometimes we are too afraid to look at what is making us unhappy in case we rock the boat and put ourselves and others at risk of upheaval. Sometimes we can't see our way out of the thorny bushes that we are stuck in, preferring instead to stay put and wait for someone to save us. Whatever the reason, it can feel too big, too scary or too confusing and unclear to know how to make a change.

“The problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them.” ~ Einstein

So how do you nudge yourself out of limiting patterns? By creating new beliefs that will lead to positive change. You don't need to know what those changes will be. In fact, it is better if you don't think about it. By cultivating positive beliefs you are planting the seeds that will pull you out of the muck. Let those seeds create a wild garden of possibilities that you can't imagine from where you are standing right now. In fact, don't imagine it. Instead, just plant the seeds and see where they take you.

21 Days of Gratitude

Us a 21 day practice for creating new, and positive, thoughts and beliefs. Before you begin:

• Find a pen or pencil.

• Find a journal, notebook, or paper.

This exercise works best when done with pen and paper, because it engages the neuroplasticity of the brain (more about that later). You don't have to be perfect with this. If all you can find is a crayon and the inside of a cereal box, use that.

Every night write down three things that you are grateful for. Really remember the experience of the event or situation, call it up in your mind and allow the emotion of gratitude to wash over you.

A memory is an event tied to an emotion. By writing out what you are grateful for you are creating an event. By being in the feelings of gratitude as you write you tie the emotion to the event and create a positive memory.

Here are the steps. Keep it simple, positive and in ease (there is no need for effort).

1. Give yourself a calm and quiet place and time. A good time is in the evening before you go to bed, because it lets you reflect on the day and the benefits will stay with you into your sleep instead of being washed away by daily events.

2. Think of three things that you are grateful for. It can be a small event or victory from the day, a person that supports you, something that made you laugh or smile, an appreciation for what you have, or an awareness that you recently made. Nothing is too small or too large. Nothing is too simple or too strange. This is your practice and you get to revel in it.

3. Write what you are grateful for down on paper. It can be a few words or a paragraph. Keep it simple and focus on the feeling of gratitude. Let the feeling wash over you as you remember and think about what you are grateful for.

We don't have perfect lives, so doing what we can is good enough. What is most important is doing the work. Of course you would do this practice while comfortably seated at your writing desk, looking out the window at a relaxing view while sipping a nourishing tea in the calm of the twilight hours. Of course this is probably not your reality and that is ok. Do what you can however you can, and it will be a step in the right direction. With practice you will find your rhythm, time and place, so that it becomes a habit.

Background

The information in this post is based on neuroplasticity, which is the brain's ability to change and adapt. Your experiences, behaviours, emotions and thoughts shape your brain function. This makes the brain vulnerable to outside influences, such as negative physical or emotional experiences, and to internal influences, which are usually unconscious thoughts and beliefs.

Your brains capacity to adapt means that you can create new pathways in the brain to form new habits and patterns. As you repeat a new behaviour it gets easier and easier until it becomes something you don't have to think about. There is some effort on your part, because forming new habits doesn't happen overnight. It takes practice.

It is our thoughts and beliefs that create and sustain our patterns, but our thoughts and beliefs can change.

A 21 day practice is a tool that nudges us into a new and positive direction. It is like tidying the house. If you do a little each day the task is not as daunting and your house is in a livable state. Eventually it becomes a habit, you become more efficient and your home is comfortable and harmonious.

Use this tool to begin taking steps to positive change. Creating a 21 day challenge starts a lifelong practice of forming new habits and beliefs. It can take anywhere from three weeks (21 days) to several months or even years to fully move away from some limiting patterns. Know that this is ok. We did not form our habits overnight and so it may take time to change them. Let your 21 day practice turn into a daily practice that moves you in a positive direction of growth and awareness.

For more information on this topic:

https://www.thebestbrainpossible.com/the-neuroscience-of-changing-your-behavior