Ripples #884: Treasury Within.
May 2, 2016
PEBBLE
Every good thought you think is contributing its share to the ultimate result of your life.
-Grenville Kleiser, shared by Nora in Beverly Hills, MI
BOULDER
Everything we do in life goes into the treasury of the heart. The ideas with which we fill our hearts determine the way we live our lives. Those are the things we draw on in those moments when we need to reach down deep inside ourselves for character, courage, endurance and hope. That’s why what we read, what we see and what we do from day to day counts so much in life.
–Joan Chittister, shared by Kathy in Kennewick, WA
PONDER
Last week’s issue reminded us about the ripply nature of kind actions towards others, so this week I thought we could explore the benefits of inner-rippling. Here comes some bad news and some good news…. The BAD news is that the yucky stuff we inevitably encounter can sometimes linger stubbornly in our thoughts and feelings because our brains are wired to warn us and protect us from danger. The GOOD news is that there is increasing evidence that we are also wired to appreciate the good stuff: celebrating, savoring, and gratituding* are innate abilities that we can cultivate to improve our relationships, our work effectiveness, and our happiness.**
That doesn’t mean we have to force ourselves to always “think happy thoughts” or ignore the inevitable grief and frustration that accompany a full life. It *does* mean that each time we consciously choose to embrace and act on positive thoughts and emotions, we strengthen our ability to enjoy life AND to be more effective during challenges.
Each internal positive ripple you initiate contributes to the treasury within, which in turns helps every single soul you encounter. Splish, Splash, Rapple, Ripple!
Peace,
Paul
The Ripples Guy
*P.S. Yes, I realize that “gratituding” is not actually a word….yet!
**P.P.S. If you’d like to learn more about research I mentioned, this week’s blog post from Eric Barker is a quick and worthy read: http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2016/05/way-to-improve
