Using Gratitude to Repair Your Relationships
"Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of
throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned."
Gautama Buddha (Circa 563 BC - 483 BC)
Founder of Buddhism
Rhonda says, "When we are faced with a difficult relationship or a challenging situation in a relationship, in almost all cases, we're not in the least bit grateful for the other person. Instead, we're busy blaming the other person for the problems we have with them and that means we don't have a shred of gratitude. Blame is never going to make a relationship better and it's never going to make your life better. In fact, the more you blame, the worse the relationship gets and the worse your life gets." Page 141, The Magic.
How does Gratitude Repair Damaged Relationships?
Today's
assignment is to choose one difficult, problematic, or broken relationship that
I want to improve then list ten things I am grateful for about that person.
I love Gary. We have been together for twenty years. Some good and some bad.
I chose this relationship to work on. It can be difficult at times because he has Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (he isn't the easiest person to live with.)
I cannot change him. I know I can't change anyone but myself. So I need to work on how I think, feel and react. So here I go.
- Gary, I'm
grateful to you for sticking with me through all the good and bad times
because that is what keeps our relationship strong.
- Gary, I'm
grateful to you for our daughter. The happiness she brings me everyday
could not exist without you.
- Gary, I'm
grateful for the years to come as we grow old together in wisdom and love.
- Gary, I'm
grateful to you for all the hard work and long hours you put in to support
our family.
- Gary, I'm
grateful to you for all the time and energy you spent on fixing up our
house. You helped to make it our home.
- Gary, I'm
grateful to you for all those good times we had together. We laughed til our stomachs hurt.
- Gary, I'm
grateful to you for accepting, and loving Bethany and Chelsea as your
own.
- Gary, I'm
grateful for all those precious times we had with the girls as they were
growing up.
- Gary, I'm
grateful to you for those times you took care of me when I was sick or
injured.
- Gary, I'm grateful to you for taking the time to work on our vehicles because I know it a lot of work.
Gratitude Stone
I especially liked the part where Christina was laughing. We usually see her just moping around the house in her pajamas.
Gratitude Journal
I Am Grateful: (Day 15)
- For all the
sleep I had today because I must have needed it. Thank you, thank
you, thank you.
- To everyone who
made it possible for me to sleep away the day because I must have needed
it. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
- To Cole for
making supper tonight because I was too drowsy to do. Thank you, thank
you, thank you.
- To Christina for
taking the three girls out today because I really needed the break. Thank
you, thank you, thank you.
- To
Christina for making pancakes this morning because they were yummy and a nice
change from my usual alphabets. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
- To Cole for
taking Lexi home tonight because I enjoy playing with my granddaughters
more than driving them around. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
- To Nicole and
Christina for sitting at the table after supper and just talking because it
warms my heart to see the two of you laughing together. Thank you, thank
you, thank you.
- To Gary for
thinking of me when he went out to the corner store tonight because it
makes me feel good.Thank you, thank you, thank you.
- For Gary taking
the time to read to Faith at bed time because she
so desperately craves his attention.Thank you, thank you, thank
you.
- For
the conversation I had with one of my coworkers today. She told me about
the huge stack of work piling up on my desk and how everyone is concerned
and misses me. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Tomorrow is day 16 - Magic and Miracles in Health. Sounds interesting to me.
