Speaker, Trainer, Troubadour, Author

Kim Ratz

Helping people create more harmony
in their own life, and in
their relationships with others ...

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Live&WorkWise

From Kim Ratz, Speaker-Trainer-Troubadour, November 2013

Nothing fancy - just a fast, free read to inspire hope,
improve skills to cope, and induce some fun in your day!


Thoughts to Help You Live & WorkWise:

The Correlation Between "Gratitude" and "Happiness"

Don't leave gratitude on the Thanksgiving table this year, and here's why: People who practice an "Attitude of Gratitude" are happier. When you focus on the good things and the people you care about in your life, you feel better. Conversely: when you focus on the problems in your life and complain (even in your own self-talk), you darken your own mood. You always find what you seek. That's why this is good news for the "negative Neds & Nellies" -- you can choose to "Reframe the situation" (Perceiving a situation, reality, set of facts in more than one way -- that still fit the facts) and look for the good. And you'll always find something. Do this frequently enough (practice makes better), and you can train your brain to feel more grateful (read: Happy), more often. For example, when things aren't going well for me, if I start thinking about the good things in my life (like my grandchildren :), I immediately start to feel better. The challenge is to recognize when you are complaining, feeling ungrateful or otherwise feel unhappy, and the goal is to get yourself to a frame of mind where you can let these grateful thoughts come to the surface ...

Here are five ways to grow from Thanks-Giving to Thanks-Living, 365 days a year:

  • Practice daily: List 3 specific people, and three specific things you are grateful for.
  • Eliminate or minimize negative triggers (people who complain/"awfulize," and situations that make your heart feel burdened, not blessed)
  • Stop blaming others -- this puts your focus on someone else, rather than remembering what YOU can do about the situation.
  • Even if you have to -- Fake it! Just pretending to be grateful starts the mental process that guides your thoughts and feelings ...
  • Help someone less fortunate, to remind yourself things could be worse.

By the way: You receive this e-Newz because I understand, respect and appreciate the important work you do and the difference you make, and these occasional Live&WorkWise" e-Newz are my way of being supportive. In this final e-Newz for 2013, I want to send my very best wishes to you as we begin this holiday season, because a big reason I love working with people like you is: I am Thankful for what you and your colleagues do. I hope your holiday season is full of Thanks, Love, Hope, & Joy!

(For more articles on my web site, click here:More Articles


Quotes related to "Gratitude" for the days ahead ...

All happy people are grateful. Ungrateful people cannot be happy. We think being unhappy leads people to complain, but complaining leads people to becoming unhappy. - Dennis Prager

Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it. - William Ward

Gratitude is an art of painting an adversity into a lovely picture. - Kak Sri

As each day comes to us refreshed and anew, so does my gratitude renew itself daily. The breaking of the sun over the horizon is my grateful heart dawning upon a blessed world. - Terri Guillemets

The unthankful heart discovers no mercies; but let the thankful heart sweep through the day and, as the magnet finds iron, so it will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings. - Henry Ward Beecher

Gratitude is a quality similar to electricity; it must be produced, discharged and used up in order to exist at all. - William Faulkner

I feel a very unusual sensation - if it is not indigestion, I think it must be gratitude. - Benjamin Disraeli

The only people with whom you should try to get even are those who have helped you. - John Southard

Give thanks for unknown blessings already on their way. - Native American Prayer

Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is a spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace and gratitude. - Denis Watley

Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened. - Dr. Seuss


I specialize in helping people create more harmony in their own life, and in their relationships with others. It's about being Congruent and making good Choices -- by aligning your Attitudes, Aptitudes & Actions -- so that at days end you feel content with your choices, and not regret. This content is applied to outcomes including: Personal Excellence, Communication & Relationship Skills, Teamwork, Customer Service & Leadership. I do this through keynotes and workshops that inspire hope, help people improve their skills to cope with change, challenge and conflict, and original music, stories and humor to induce some fun along the way.

If you need a presenter who shares content, energy and inspiration,
call me right away so we can discuss how one of these programs could help your group!

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952.938.4472
(Central TZ)

3665 Woody Lane,
Minnetonka, MN 55305

Since 2006 Kim has been proud to sponsor:

Kim is proud to sponsor Make a Difference to Children
July is National
Make a Difference
to Children Month


Click HERE for more info ...


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