Everyone tells you that you should be more grateful because it will make you a happier person. But what if writing it down or thinking about it isn't quite doing it for you?
In the classic 1946 film It's a Wonderful Life, George Bailey stands on a bridge far above an icy river, about to end his life. Everything seemed to be doing wrong.
The angel Clarence then takes George through an alternate universe in which George would never have been born. He saw how different the lives of those around him would be, and he realized all the things he would miss: his wife, his kids, and his friends.
If you want to appreciate life more, try the "George Bailey Exercise" for yourself:
- Think about something or someone you want to appreciate more in your life.
- Imagine and write down what life would be like without that thing or person.
- Write down what you can do to appreciate that thing or person more.
Sometimes, to be more grateful, we have to see what our lives would be like without everything we've been given.
Credit: Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy, authors of The Gap and the Gain
P.S. - I'm a huge fan of memes. This is one of my recent favorites 👇
