See the magic in the mundane
In January of this year, I was lucky enough to get to listen to Gabrielle Bernstein at her 2-day seminar. Gabby is a motivational speaker, life coach and New York Times best-selling author. She had so many wise things to say, but one really sticks out. Gabby told the audience to “look at things as if for the first time” and I have taken this with me ever since.
Look at something as if for the first time
We all take things for granted. Breathing, running, talking. Our homes, our relationships,
our family. But look around you! Life is full of magic and it is such a shame that we fail to
appreciate this magic every day.
This is what Gabby was saying when she said that we should all look at something as if
for the first time. Not only does it make the optimist in us come to the surface, it also
means that we look at something with love and excitement. There is something beautiful
about naivety. Not naivety as being stupidly unaware. But naivety as looking at
something as I child would – with awe and wonder.
Have a go now. If you’re at your computer, look at it as if you’ve never seen it before!
Appreciate its functions – how you can see pictures, hear sounds, even access the
internet! And when you’re with your loved ones today, gaze at them with fresh eyes.
Remind yourself of all the fantastic qualities these people have and what attracted them
into your life.
How do you feel right now? Take a moment to let this magical feeling move all around
you. This is self-love, love for others and appreciation of the seemingly mundane.
Access your appreciator
But you might turn around and say to me that you just can’t see the positive in a certain
situation. You just can’t look at this one person/situation/thing as if for the first time.
Well, I’m here to tell you that you’re wrong.
Inside each of us is an appreciator: a little sparkle of positivity that can find the good in
any situation. By “the good” this can mean the positive outcome, lessons learnt or even
any funny things that make you laugh now you look back.
Let me give you a personal example. My grandma, one of the rocks of my life, passed
away just over 2 years ago. I never thought I would recover from the loss. How could I
appreciate something so tragic? But now, as I look back with appreciative eyes, I realise
that she was suffering and it was time for her to leave. I also look back and appreciate all
the beautiful things she taught me and that our memories together are now even more
special. So, even in the darkest times where grief tries to consume me, I access my
appreciator and look to the positive. Do you think you can give it a go too?
Your appreciator is an inner person
It’s fun to give your appreciator an identity. When you’re ready, close your eyes and try
and visualise the “person” inside you that appreciates life. What do they look like? What
clothes do they wear? What music/books/films do they like? Can you give them a name?
Take your time with this and, as we always say here at LLLY, have fun with it! When I
first did this visualisation, I recognised immediately that my appreciator is Glinda the
Good Witch from the Wizard of Oz/Wicked the Musical. She sparkles, she has fun, she
finds the good in everything. She’s my perfect appreciator!
Quotes about appreciation
As a little gift, we wanted to leave you with 5 lovely quotes about appreciation. If you
know any more then comment below! And, if you want help seeing the world around
you in an appreciative way, Steve can help you. So book in for a session and see the
difference he can help you make.
– “Above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the
greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don’t
believe in magic will never find it.” Roald Dahl
– “Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, when one only remembers
to turn on the light.” JK Rowling
– “You’ll miss the best things if you keep your eyes shut.” Dr Seuss
– “Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a
listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which
have the potential to turn a life around.” Leo Buscaglia
– “Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on
what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.” Oprah Winfrey