Living A FUNtastic Life (Part 4)

In 2003, I took up swimming as part of my exercise regime. Like most things that I do, I set a goal for myself.

I wanted to learn the major strokes, including front crawl, back crawl, butterfly, and breaststroke. In addition, I wanted to swim more than 60 lengths of an Olympic-sized pool.

Swimming was, to me, a boring and lonely sport. As a ‘social animal’, it was hard to do it when I cannot see or hear another human.

I embarked on another interesting exercise while I was swimming. It strengthened me and changed my life forever.

I decided to spend the time in the pool reminiscing about everything that had happened in my life.

 I made a commitment to be grateful and thankful to our Creator for each and every one of the experiences, including the sad and painful ones.

How I perceived past experience – and not the experience itself – determines my level of happiness.

My thoughts shaped my emotions and my life.

What I decided – I acted upon. What I acted upon – I became.

What I became influenced my happiness quotient.

When I finally achieved my swimming goals, I had unconsciously achieved another better goal.

I became a happier and emotionally stronger person.

In a research conducted by Sheldon and Houser-Marko in 2001, they asked a group of participants to write down five things for which they were grateful about.

They were to do it once a week for ten weeks consecutively.

They found that this group made more improvements than the other controlled groups.

Participants were inclined to be more optimistic and have a higher satisfaction level in their lives.

In addition, they spent more time exercising and becoming healthier.

I strongly encourage you to do the same exercise.

You can also follow what I do almost every single day of my life.

I think, share, or write down all the things I should be grateful and thankful for in my life.

If I have a heart of gratefulness, no sadness can seep into it.

I will see more beauty in this world and it will fill my life with a sense of awe and appreciation.

I will become a happier person.

Go4It!

I hope this message will find a place in your heart.

By the way, I have also recorded other reflections.

Please go to ‘Notes’ found below my profile picture.

Visit my Inspiration blog at http://liewinspiration.wordpress.com

Visit my Transformation blog at http://hsrpatrickliew.wordpress.com

Please read them and continue to teach me.

Life is FUNtastic!

 

Question:  How can we become more grateful and thankful for our lives?