Reading Time: 3 minutesThis is the suggested Well-Being Practice for week two of the challenge. If this practice does not work for you (for whatever reason), then you can choose from one of our 3 Foundational Well-Being Practices. If you are a veteran player or these three practices are not new to you, then feel free to select from our comprehensive list of Well-Being Practices.
This Week Explore Your Gratitude for People
Simple Instructions:
- Each day, write down one person in your life who is important to you.
- Then write down why this person is important — what does this person mean to you, what is added to your life, and how does this person bring you joy or value?
Watch this video for an explanation of this Well-Being Practice from Whole Life Challenge co-founders Andy Petranek and Michael Stanwyck.
Why Is This Practice Important?
People can get so complicated. They contribute to our lives and at the same time frustrate us. They bring us joy and also drive us crazy. Soothe us and make us furious. There is no one way that people are, and we can be quick to forget how good it is to have them in our lives.
In truth, there is rarely a person who has no good qualities. You might forget these qualities in the hustle and bustle of life or amid other frustrations, but that doesn’t mean they’re not there.
And forgetting to be grateful doesn’t just happen when we’re at odds with someone, either. We can get so wrapped up in whatever is in front of us that we take the good stuff for granted — and often some of the best things in our lives are people.
And reminding yourself how good the people around you are is not only good for them — it’s good for you.
Taking the time to practice gratitude gives you an opportunity to see the support you have, the resources you have, and the uniquely amazing qualities each person has to offer. (And in looking for the “good,” you might actually find out no one ever has to drive you crazy again.)
Therefore, this week’s Well-Being Practice is about remembering why the people in our lives are in our lives and spelling out our gratitude for them.
For More on This Practice
Dr. Mark Goulston is a psychiatrist, a mentor to top executives and CEOs, a bestselling author, and considered to be the world’s number-one expert in deep listening and influence.
The empathy with which Mark listens is really like a superpower — and you can learn how to do it, too. Listen to his podcast with Andy to learn more about why it’s valuable to develop this ability.
He graduated from UCLA with a BA in philosophy as well as a degree from the Southern California School of Culinary Arts, and feels food is one of the most important parts of a life - it can nourish, heal, and bring people together.
Michael believes health and well-being are as much a state of mind as they are a state of the body, and when it comes to fitness, food, and life in general, he thinks slow is much better than fast (most of the time). Stopping regularly to examine things is the surest way to put down roots and grow.
He knows he will never be done with his own work, and believes the best thing you can do for your well-being starts with loving and working from what you’ve got right now.
