Do You Have Enough Tude?
"Tude" is short for gratitude. Gratitude is a powerful tool that makes you feel better and also helps those around you feel good too. There's significant research showing the positive effects of gratitude. Getting into the habit of expressing gratitude can help to reduce conflict and the struggle you feel when things aren't going how you want them to.
The "Tude Movement" is an effort to tap into the power of gratitude. If you're reading this, join the movement by going out and telling someone you're thankful for something. Write it out on a card or a note and give it to him or her. That's all you have to do. Spread gratitude simply for its own sake.
Keep at it and it will come back to you in positive ways.
My Reality Generator
If you want to jump-start your work in gratitude, check out My Reality Generator. It's a guided journal with tons of exercises centered on gratitude. Learn more HERE.
Using Gratitude To Overcome Conflict
Gratitude is an incredibly powerful tool in conflict. It will help you to feel better and will cause the other side to attack you less. Ultimately it will make you more receptive to actually solving your problem instead of allowing it to devolve into finger-pointing.
Gratitude In Meditation
Incorporating gratitude in your meditation practice will help you to reframe your brain to be more grateful and can help in moments of intense conflict (as described above). Learn more about gratitude in meditation and meditation generally here.
The Science of Gratitude
There is a growing body of scientific research showing the benefits of gratitude.
For example, in a study in 2003 (available here) researchers broke subjects into 3 groups: (1) a group that wrote about what they were grateful for, (2) a group that wrote about the things that had irritated them, and (3) a group that just wrote about events that had taken place during their week (the control group). Each group submitted a weekly report proving they were doing this for a period of 9 weeks. At the end of the experiment, the gratitude group was not only feeling better about their lives, but they were reporting fewer physical complaints and they were exercising more.