start monday with gratitude
week 15
Welcome to Week 15, lovely soul.
Below you'll find the video and video transcript introducing you to this week's quote and musings.
Scroll further and you'll discover this week's daily exercises, high vibe tune, and downloadable wallpapers.
video transcript
How you look on life reflects how you feel in life.
If you always look on the dark and more negative side of things, how do you think you’ll feel? Dark and negative, of course (and if you don’t believe me, try complaining about something while smiling or laughing… it just doesn’t happen).
And the more you complain and sit on the negative side of the fence, the more things you’ll find to complain about, the more negativity you’ll attract.
So why do it?
Wouldn’t you prefer a life that’s filled with joy and laughter? I know I would.
Do you think you can enjoy joy and laughter by being negative and complaining all the time? Of course not.
However, there is a very simple habit you can introduce into your life that will lift your spirits and will bring you joy and laughter. And that’s gratitude.
When you’re grateful for everything in your life, you can’t help but feel happy. That’s what gratitude does. It’s the bright sunlight breaking through dark clouds. It makes you feel uplifted. It gives you a natural high. It raises your energy and vibration.
And it’s when our energy and vibration are high that we experience joy. And with joy comes laughter.
Plus there’s an added free bonus. When your vibration is high and you’re experiencing joy, it creates a ripple effect and touches those around you, those near to you. Through your joy and laughter others will enjoy joy and laughter too. Like a smile, it’s contagious.
Have you ever been at a party or gathering and you hear people laughing on the other side of the room? Don’t you feel drawn to be near those people? That’s because our bodies love the feeling of being in a high vibration.
Have you ever been in one of those situations, perhaps on a train, where someone, a stranger, starts belly-laughing and as they laugh their laughter touches those around them until gradually everyone around them is laughing, even though most of whom have no clue why they’re laughing? That’s simply because their vibration is creating a ripple effect amongst those standing near them and one by one the vibration of joy and laughter penetrates each person’s energy and aura until they can’t help but laugh too.
So, it all really boils down to a simple question. Would you rather live a life of joy and laughter or a life of complaining and negativity? If you want to attract joy and laughter into your life (and into the lives of those around you) then all you need to do is practice gratitude. It couldn’t be simpler.
daily gratitude practice
monday
There was an Irish band in the 1970s and ‘80s, led by Bob Geldof of Live Aid fame, called The Boomtown Rats and they had a famous song in the UK called “I don’t like Mondays”.
Today I invite you to epitomise the meaning behind that song which is, quite simply, “I don’t like Mondays”.
Today I invite you to be a right old grump, moaning and groaning at anything and everything.
Watch how people react to you.
Do they want to be around you, or do they keep their distance?
How do you feel by the end of the day?
Are you tired and fed up and can’t wait for the day to come to an end or are you full of energy?
Some people make being grumpy look easy, but it expends a lot of energy and is a really low vibration which has the tendency to repel people.
tuesday
Enough of the grump. One day of that was enough don’t you think?
Today I invite you to express your gratitude in a completely different way, in a very silent way.
I invite you to smile your way through today.
Smile at a stranger and see if they smile back (they may even look pleasantly surprised).
Smile at friends and family (that should be easy).
Smile as you’re simply walking around and see what reaction you receive from people.
And especially if someone is annoying you or being rude or hurtful or expressing any kind of negative emotion towards you, just smile at them. Don’t grimace, genuinely smile.
wednesday
There’s a word I use every time I receive or give money.
And that word is “arigato”.
It means “thank you” in Japanese.
However, unless you are Japanese or fluent in Japanese, it has a magical quality about it because it feels different to simply saying “thank you”.
Today I invite you to use arigato as much as you can.
You don’t have to say it out loud, you can say it quietly in your head.
What’s important is the intention is there and you’re consciously walking through your day expressing your gratitude.
Also, you don’t have to only say it when you’re giving or receiving money, say it when you’re giving or receiving anything. Arigato.
thursday
There’s no better way to bring joy and laughter into your life than being childlike.
Children have this amazing sense of freedom about them. They have few or no responsibilities and a curiosity and inquisitiveness to life.
So, today, I invite you to embrace your inner child.
When you’re walking down the street, randomly start skipping for a moment, or play hopscotch on a paved street.
Walking through a revolving door, do a full revolution.
Go to a park and swing on the swings or get dizzy on a roundabout.
Find something childlike, something carefree that you enjoyed as a child and embrace it today.
Be grateful for the joyous fun you got to enjoy today.
friday
How do you get to work? Do you take the bus, train or tram? Do you drive?
Whatever mode of transport you take, I encourage you to start laughing.
On the bus, train or tram, simply start to giggle and let it build up a little. Then look around to see who else has started to laugh or can’t help but smile.
If you drive to work, when stopped at traffic lights, start giggling and laughing in your car. Then look across at other drivers and see if your laughter has become contagious.
Be grateful for spreading a little bit of happiness and laughter.
saturday
No matter the weather, today I invite you to go outside for a walk. It doesn’t have to be a long walk.
When you begin your walk, I invite you to do so with your head down and your eyes looking at the ground. All you can see is the ground beneath your feet.
And walk slowly.
Perhaps even slide your feet along.
Get a feel for how that feels.
After a few minutes, I invite you to start singing a bright, happy, upbeat song. You can sing it in your head, you can hum it quietly, or you can sing it out loud. Whatever you choose.
After singing this song for a few minutes, check in with yourself.
Are you still walking with your head held down, eyes looking only at the ground?
Are you still walking slowly or has your pace quickened, in time to the upbeat song in your head?
How do you feel in general after singing this song for a while? Are you, perhaps, naturally smiling as people pass you by and are they smiling back at you in return?
Something as simple, as easy as music can bring such joy and happiness into our lives and completely change our energy and vibration.
Be grateful for all the wonderful music in your life.
sunday
When was the last time you had a real laugh with a friend, partner or family member?
I don’t mean you had a laugh, ha-ha, I mean a real deep, can’t help snorting, “my sides are aching” type of laugh?
Well, today’s the day.
Find a willing volunteer (someone you know will join in with you) and just start giggling and laughing in their company.
When they can’t help but join in, take your laughing up a notch until it becomes a full-blown genuine belly-laugh.
Keep laughing until it hurts, until your cheeks are burning, and your sides are sore. Keep laughing until, after you stop, neither of you know why either of you was laughing.
Isn’t it great to let go and just enjoy one of life’s greatest pleasures?
and let's not forget...
Today's high vibe tune reminds us how good it feels to feel good
have gratitude wherever you go...
... with this week's gratitude quote wallpaper.
Note: details of how to download this week's wallpaper is provided below.
“Gratitude brings joy and laughter into your life and into the lives of all those around you” ~ Eileen Caddy
16:9
16:10
4:3
mobile
how to download your wallpaper
desktop
Before copying one of the pictures below, you'll want to quickly check your screen settings because the worst thing you can do is use a wallpaper with an aspect ratio that differs from the aspect ratio of your screen.
The aspect ratio of a rectangle is simply the proportion between width and height. The most common are 16:9, 16:10 and 4:3. And it will be for these 3 sizes that I shall provide you with your free wallpaper.
To find your screen resolution follow this basic guide. Steps for your computer may vary slightly but I hope this will give you some guidance:
- Right-click the desktop and select Display settings.
- Scroll down until you see "Resolution" (you may have to choose an "Advanced" option)
- To find your aspect ratio, divide the width over the height. For example, if my resolution is 1920 x 1080 then I would divide 1920 over 1080 to get 1.778, which indicates a 16:9 resolution. Similarly, 1.6 indicated 16:10 and 1.333 indicates 4:3
- When you've calculated your screen's aspect ratio, go to the picture below that matches that size
- Right click on the picture and select "Set as Desktop Background"
- Choose whether to "Fill", "Fit", or "Stretch" your picture - if you've chosen the right size "Fit" will be your best option
- Select "Set Desktop Background" and you're done
android mobile
- First, save the wallpaper image to your phone by pressing your finger on the wallpaper image and hold down on it until you see a menu.
- From here, click the “Save image” tab, and it will begin downloading.
- The next step is to set this saved image as your wallpaper by pressing and holding a blank area on your screen (meaning where no apps are placed), and home screen options will appear.
- Select 'add wallpaper' and choose whether the wallpaper is intended for 'Home screen', 'Lock screen', or 'Home and lock screen'.
- Another set of options will appear where you can choose where the photo you would like to use will be coming from, namely the Gallery.
- If necessary, crop the image to a suitable size. Once satisfied, simply click 'Done'.
ios smartphone
- First, save the wallpaper image to your phone by pressing your finger on the wallpaper image and hold down for about 2 seconds until a menu appears.
- From here, click “Save Image“, and it will begin downloading.
- The next step is to set this saved image as your wallpaper by, first, going to the 'Photos' app and selecting the wallpaper photo you've saved there.
- Click on the share icon on the lower left corner of the screen, then select 'Use as Wallpaper'.
- Then choose to set the photo as either the lock screen, home screen or both.