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Today We Are Giving Thanks!
Nov 23, 2022
On this episode, we are discussing gratitude and what the difference is between being grateful and being thankful. We also talk ways to practice giving thanks. @Official Rob Glasser #thankful #grateful #gratitude #thankfulness #givingthanks All interviews are for informational purposes only and are educational in nature. Any health advice discussed in this show/podcast is not intended to treat disease and should be discussed with your doctor prior to implementing. 📌 Subscribe to Caren's Channel: https://YouTube.com/@carenglasser 📌 Subscribe to Rob's Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@officialrobglasser Watch all shows on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3VStXU3 Follow Caren on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/carenglasserlive Follow Caren on Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/carenglasser Check out the AlteredUniverseLive store to pick up some cool swag: https://www.altereduniverse.live/shop Don't forget to download a free copy of our eBook "Finding Your Passion": https://www.mindingyourmentalhealth.com
View Video Transcript
0:00
hello everyone Karen Glasser here and
0:03
welcome to minding your mental health
0:05
I'm here with my co-host Rob Glasser
0:09
I always get that messed up and my son
0:12
he happens to be my son so I call him
0:14
son you call him whatever we talk about
0:16
the topics that shape mental health
0:18
today we're teaching the importance of
0:20
inclusion and share why we should be
0:22
kind like we need an explanation for
0:25
that I don't know so whether you're here
0:27
live or on replay let us know where
0:29
you're tuning in from just say hello
0:31
we'd love to hear from you so today Rob
0:33
we're talking about giving thanks a
0:34
perfect week for that right it's
0:36
Thanksgiving
0:37
so we're just going to jump right in
0:39
about giving thanks so take it away
0:42
all right if you're insist
0:45
um okay our first question that we
0:47
decided to ask ourselves is what is
0:49
gratitude because
0:51
giving thanks is
0:53
I guess similar so very well mind.com
0:56
one of my apparently favorite places
0:58
because everything seems to come from
1:00
them but hey they're a great site they
1:01
have a lot of good information blogs
1:03
phone numbers as well they wrote an
1:06
article about what it is so they wrote
1:08
down gratitude is a positive emotion
1:10
that involves being thankful and
1:12
appreciated and is usually associated
1:14
with several mental and physical health
1:16
benefits When you experience gratitude
1:19
you feel grateful for something or
1:21
someone and respond with feelings of
1:23
things like kindness warmth and other
1:26
forms of generosity
1:29
um basically in general terms according
1:31
to scientists
1:32
something good happens to you something
1:34
you recognize well and that continuously
1:37
or should continuously give you the
1:40
gracious feeling now interesting enough
1:42
and this is the part I love this has
1:43
been going on for decades Millennium
1:46
actually back in ancient times religious
1:48
Scholars and philosophers were always
1:51
into studying this however not until the
1:54
50s that anybody actually sit and write
1:56
it down in a book that's when
1:59
psychologists and sociologists began to
2:01
actually examine what gratitude does to
2:03
groups and individuals but I'm never
2:07
shocked I mean we all think that ancient
2:10
people did nothing but honestly they did
2:12
much more than yeah and if it wasn't for
2:15
them we really wouldn't you know and we
2:17
talk a lot about the whole happiness
2:19
Thing versus gratitude or being grateful
2:21
so you know I think that when we talk
2:24
about being grateful or having gratitude
2:27
it does eventually make us feel happy or
2:31
what we Define as happy right so what it
2:35
what are they telling us to do
2:37
okay well first off they have some signs
2:40
of it
2:42
um a few signs of it spending a few
2:43
moments thinking about things that
2:45
you're grateful for stopping to observe
2:47
and acknowledge the beauty of wonder in
2:49
something that you encounter in a daily
2:51
life uh being thankful for things like
2:54
your health thanking for positive
2:56
influence or thanking someone for a kind
3:00
deed and then generally you know things
3:04
like prayer meditation and
3:06
paying attention to the little things as
3:08
they call it right
3:10
um how do you measure it and this kind
3:11
of goes into what you're saying so
3:13
there's a few questions they can ask
3:14
that you ask yourself
3:15
do you feel you have a lot to be
3:17
thankful for
3:18
um if you made a list of those things
3:19
how long would it be when you look at
3:22
the world uh can you find things that
3:26
again you feel gracious about
3:30
um you know do you feel appreciation for
3:31
your life do you frequently experience
3:33
these moments and lastly do you
3:35
appreciate a wide variety of people as
3:38
well right they say that if you entered
3:41
yes to all or most then gratitude might
3:44
be in the DNA and that goes into the
3:46
three types
3:48
effective which is a trait which means
3:51
that nine times out of ten the person is
3:53
just overall
3:55
grateful no necessity no necessity
3:59
whatsoever most likely that they just
4:02
have that feeling of okay cool
4:04
it can also be a mood which will
4:06
fluctuate but that usually is a period
4:09
of time or as an emotion which is a
4:12
brief moment not as long as a period of
4:14
time but a momentary judgment call I
4:19
guess
4:21
um so what does all that mean as far as
4:23
practicing well
4:24
um again they have quite a few actually
4:27
not that many they have we'll go through
4:29
them observing the moments so this is
4:32
free you look out your window you look
4:35
at the birds you're observing
4:38
that's it no Rhyme or Reason right no no
4:43
no necessary items you're just observing
4:47
number two something you you would do uh
4:50
writing down
4:51
it doesn't matter what it is it could be
4:53
nonsense to anything it could just be a
4:56
bunch of words but you're writing
4:58
something down that in some fashion
5:01
is grateful for you or I think it's what
5:05
you put out is what comes back to you if
5:08
you put out your grateful
5:09
you're going to get that back to you
5:11
gratitude back yeah and while observing
5:13
the moment save her just like you would
5:16
do with a food or maybe a game Savor the
5:21
moment you're in so as as well as
5:23
watching what you're watching or seeing
5:25
what you're saying get into it for a
5:28
minute you know pretend like you are the
5:30
bird pretend like you are outside flying
5:32
through the whatever Savor the moment
5:35
that you're in
5:37
um create rituals that'll make you feel
5:39
good whether it's prayer mantras or
5:42
other do something that continuously
5:44
brings it back in and lastly and exactly
5:47
what our title is called give thanks
5:51
um as a person who is more religious now
5:53
than was I thank God daily for what I
5:55
have I thankful for waking up for
5:58
breathing for help for all that it's not
6:00
necessarily anything in particular other
6:02
than I just want to give the feeling
6:06
to the source of whatever that I'm
6:10
thankful for and of course I do it to
6:12
you know to you to Krista to others as
6:14
well who mean uh much and you just do it
6:17
you you there's no particular necessity
6:20
or Reason to do it it's just something
6:21
that you do yeah to let you flow you
6:24
know you do it because you want to and
6:27
because you feel good afterwards you
6:29
know it's fascinating to me that
6:31
um a lot of people struggle with this
6:33
concept they can oh I can meditate I'm
6:36
I'm mindful but when you say what are
6:38
you grateful for literally people will
6:40
sit there and go I don't know and when
6:43
when I will suggest to someone well
6:45
write three things down that you're
6:46
grateful for it doesn't matter what it
6:48
is but it's I will sometimes get back a
6:51
lot of times well what if what if it's I
6:53
can't think of anything other than I'm
6:55
grateful for my house and I'm grateful
6:57
for the food I eat and I'm grateful for
6:59
my puppy so put that down every single
7:02
day because eventually as you sit in
7:05
that gratitude I believe and I think the
7:07
studies show as you sit in gratitude
7:09
you're going to start thinking about
7:11
other things you mentioned Rob being
7:12
outside you know just seeing the birds
7:14
when I take our dog for a walk I really
7:17
make an effort to look around to breathe
7:21
deep to see the birds hopefully to see
7:24
the the tree swing I want to be in the
7:27
moment and it doesn't always work and I
7:29
think the message that I want to give
7:31
everyone at this moment is is that
7:33
figure out what works for you and do
7:35
that do that
7:37
sure and I'll go back to my favorite man
7:40
of the universe the the Dalai Lama and
7:43
all those other who practice Buddhism
7:45
and right the other one I forgot what it
7:48
is off top of my head but it's the same
7:50
thing it's not a matter of what you're
7:52
doing it's why and how if you're doing
7:56
it to your full extent if you're doing
7:58
it for more or less a good reason right
8:02
that's the Gratitude you know there's no
8:04
need to put anything else into it it's
8:07
just the you know and and this go and
8:11
they actually have a list of things that
8:12
help uh better sleep better immunity
8:15
higher self-esteem decreased stress
8:18
lower blood pressure less anxiety and
8:20
depression stronger relationships and
8:22
what do you know higher levels of
8:23
optimism because you're hurting so why
8:26
the hell not right right it goes into
8:28
more and I'm gonna go to the next one in
8:31
a second because the next one kind of it
8:33
goes into it but they go into some ways
8:34
to do it
8:36
um but before we go into some exercises
8:40
we thought of the difference between the
8:43
two because as you mentioned the word
8:45
thank
8:46
ful or thanks and the word grateful I
8:50
guess there is no noun for grateful
8:52
gratitude thanks and gratitude
8:56
um is a um
8:58
there's a difference so life I actually
9:01
didn't realize where this came from but
9:03
it's a chiropractic company which I
9:05
thought was actually really funny just
9:06
now
9:07
um so they wrote down the difference
9:08
between the two and why you need both so
9:10
the textbook definition according to
9:12
them of thankful is being conscious of
9:16
benefits received interesting okay so
9:20
being aware of what you're getting the
9:23
person receiving the benefits has
9:24
awareness of a beneficial gesture and
9:27
responds as related often it's automatic
9:30
like saying thank you
9:32
um giving a hug I added that one or just
9:35
a smile because you know sometimes you
9:38
don't know what to say you just like you
9:40
smile because you're there
9:42
um thankfulness is oftentimes of
9:43
politeness because it's something
9:45
upbringing so thankful is something that
9:48
parents teach is it a response it's a
9:51
response right being thinking yeah
9:54
and say thank you yes it is not
9:57
something that really is a emotion per
9:59
se it is something that usually the
10:02
family teaches you can do it in all
10:04
forms whether it's face to face whether
10:06
it's in an email or even in a phone call
10:08
you are taught how to end start and
10:12
respond
10:14
um thankfulness they say is usually it's
10:16
on that last first short moment again it
10:18
could be longer depends how you use it
10:20
now the definition of grateful for them
10:23
according to dictionary is having a
10:24
sense of thankfulness that comes from
10:27
within rather than the normal response
10:31
being grateful or having gratitude can
10:33
be directed not only people but things
10:36
that you feel have been of great
10:37
assistance
10:39
um a good example uh with Skeeter as a
10:42
quote you know my my emotional support
10:44
dog you don't realize it until you need
10:47
him right how important he is now of
10:50
course he's my dog I've always loved him
10:52
it's not a that hasn't changed right but
10:54
realizing how much support he gives
10:57
without really actually expecting
10:59
anything and that's like that you know
11:00
the thing dogs don't expect anything
11:01
back it's like it's the better that you
11:04
know I think it's a Mark Twain quote the
11:05
more I know people The More I Love My
11:07
Dog
11:08
um
11:09
so could we make an example of if
11:12
somebody gives you a gift
11:14
a thing an actual gift like here's
11:16
here's a book and you say thank you and
11:19
it's in the moment you you're
11:20
appreciative that you received this gift
11:22
but being grateful is taking it one step
11:25
further and saying I'm really grateful
11:27
or I have gratitude that I have people
11:29
in my life that think about me when
11:32
they're in a bookstore and they saw
11:35
something that I may like well the
11:36
example here actually it sounds kind of
11:38
funny but the more I read it it makes
11:39
sense you can be grateful for having
11:42
your car that got you to and from your
11:45
college in order for you to get your
11:47
degree and at first I read that I think
11:49
that's kind of silly but then I thought
11:51
wait
11:52
you actually can be grateful for the
11:55
transportation because without it you
11:57
would not have been able to get to
11:59
school to get that degree right for your
12:01
job so it's something as even I'm going
12:05
more simple than what you said just even
12:06
a more simple uh right you look at the
12:09
thing or the things or the person or
12:11
whatever and it's just the one moment
12:14
that then fixes the entire thing of what
12:17
goes forward so it's a silly example but
12:20
the more I read it in my mind
12:22
it makes more sense than any other
12:24
example I can think of because that
12:26
literally is the one thing that got you
12:28
to the goal
12:30
and you now have your degree you now
12:32
have a job you know how money you cannot
12:34
buy a house you can have whatever you
12:36
literally now have your life so grateful
12:40
is the idea of
12:43
whatever it is whoever it is whatever
12:45
the idea is of it sinks in so much that
12:49
you will always remember that one time
12:51
right that whatever happened and because
12:54
of that everything flew and then you can
12:57
write it down in your gratitude Journal
12:59
right so they end with why are both
13:01
worthwhile so it's not wrong to be
13:03
thankful and expressive they say random
13:05
acts and kindness as well as intentional
13:07
acts occur every day and it's important
13:09
to express thanks not only because it's
13:11
a polite thing to do but also because it
13:14
gives you a positive feeling so even
13:15
though thankfulness is taught it does
13:18
become a thing that you do because you
13:21
know you just do it because it is so yes
13:22
there is a difference they say and it's
13:24
fine to be thankful but they actually
13:26
feel to go under gratitude more while
13:30
not forgetting what it means to be
13:31
thankful for something so using and you
13:34
know the car example you know be
13:35
thankful for having it but then be
13:38
grateful for what that Transportation
13:40
got you in the long there you go and
13:44
there you go you move it together and so
13:46
it really it's
13:48
it is a weird you know concept and I get
13:50
how some people don't get it but it is
13:52
you know
13:54
I guess it's the own person right but it
13:57
makes sense which it makes sense that
13:59
the differences between the two but they
14:01
all do eventually one begets the other
14:03
and vice versa and I I think I like that
14:06
it is an example yep
14:09
um all right so why don't we end with
14:11
some simple exercises that Inc says even
14:14
the most pessimistic person will become
14:17
happier with these so
14:19
um and most of these are kind of
14:20
abstract so bear with us as we go number
14:23
one identify three things that you feel
14:25
grateful for and appreciate you'll have
14:27
to write it down you don't have to say
14:29
anything just think of three things
14:31
right you know life Health pets
14:34
boom I can keep going I would say you
14:37
know helps I would say having traffic
14:38
you know but yeah just think of three
14:40
things right that's it number two
14:43
identify things that you take for
14:45
granted but you're actually very
14:47
thankful for so the the phrase using
14:51
your resources is how I like to put it
14:54
is a much Kinder way of saying so for
14:56
instance when you knew somebody that was
14:59
in the niche that I needed I would use
15:01
that resource to help it's not taking
15:05
advantage of it it's using the resource
15:07
that I have
15:09
does all the resources come through
15:11
doesn't really matter but it's things
15:13
that somebody might portray as you might
15:16
be taking advantage of but you're
15:17
actually thankful that that person or
15:20
that thing is available and grateful and
15:23
grateful exactly number three identify
15:26
three things you appreciate about you
15:28
huh that's so important
15:33
um for you know for those with uh add
15:35
who don't know what to do or for those
15:38
with anxiety who just don't have a happy
15:39
thought most of the time
15:41
um it could be hard but really again it
15:43
doesn't have to be anything more than
15:44
you know I'm breathing I'm moving and I
15:49
can do my videos there you go I
15:51
appreciate those things right and they
15:53
can change they can stay the same like
15:55
you mentioned at the beginning it
15:56
doesn't matter what it is it's just
15:58
things that you appreciate right about
16:00
you right and I think we talked about
16:03
other videos that the more you do it the
16:04
more you're gonna find and you're gonna
16:05
end up with a list of a thousand things
16:07
because you just keep on right you know
16:10
number four identify three things I see
16:13
there's a theme here it's the number
16:14
three that you feel grateful for about
16:17
your present right now experience these
16:20
guys must have watched our videos
16:22
because the importance of now in your
16:25
presence so three things now like
16:27
example the chair under your legs I am
16:30
thankful for it without the chair I'd be
16:31
really uncomfortable and I'd be on the
16:33
floor right but think about things that
16:35
you're happy about right here right now
16:38
boom so so I'm happy that my internet is
16:42
working because it wasn't this morning I
16:44
am very thankful that the internet is
16:46
working
16:47
um I am thankful that I get to do this
16:50
with you so and I say this all the time
16:52
that I don't know if it's a grateful
16:54
thing or it's a thankful thing I don't
16:56
know how I would Define it but but I'm
16:58
certainly I was thankful in the
17:00
beginning and now I just have a lot of
17:01
gratitude that we continue to do this so
17:04
that's my number two and my number three
17:06
is I am grateful that your father is
17:10
getting better and I am very thankful
17:13
for that what would be one of the things
17:14
that you're either grateful or thankful
17:16
for in the present moment right now well
17:18
that I am healthy that um
17:21
I have the you know Krista in my life
17:25
and
17:27
the pets the pets no a lot of them are
17:30
the same but hey that's okay it's okay
17:32
um number five identify three people who
17:34
had a significant and positive
17:35
experience in your life they say it
17:38
could be anything from a coach or a
17:39
mentor to your boss family member or
17:42
just the person at the supermarket who
17:44
bags your groceries
17:46
again doesn't matter what they did who
17:48
they are you may never see them again
17:50
but if they had a positive experience
17:52
identifying right all right a couple
17:55
more here create a thank you message to
17:57
those three so again if it's somebody
18:00
you see regularly send them an email
18:02
call them say hello if it's something
18:05
you'll never see again you know actually
18:07
and actually I think it's funny because
18:08
I think I've seen people walk into
18:10
grocery stores and give like a holiday
18:12
card to somebody and be like can you
18:14
make sure this person because it's
18:16
always their teller or it's all over the
18:18
bank it's the bank can you make sure
18:20
this teller gets this because she's
18:21
always my teller well it's that time of
18:23
year right it's that time of year and I
18:25
I actually have trouble with the whole
18:27
idea that it's that time of the year
18:29
somehow we're supposed to save all our
18:31
thanks for
18:32
this week right
18:35
um and even if it's being putting a
18:37
smile on your face I always ask no
18:39
matter where I am in the checkout stand
18:41
or if I'm going for fast food I always
18:43
ask the person that's helping me how are
18:45
you today how's your day going and that
18:48
because I'm thankful that they're there
18:50
taking care of me right that moment and
18:53
I only I'm always fascinated that they
18:54
always have one of two reactions shop
18:57
that somebody actually asked how their
18:59
day was or thank you my day is going
19:02
well how are you and so now it's
19:04
reciprocal right and I I believe it
19:07
feels better to give than to receive but
19:10
when you get both at the same time how
19:12
cool is that
19:13
there you go the last one on the list
19:16
here is of your entire list pick the one
19:18
thing you are most appreciative of and
19:20
feel it in your heart this one I would
19:23
say give yourself time to decide because
19:25
you probably have written down a list of
19:26
30 50 100 things pick the one thing you
19:31
are most appreciative of and throughout
19:33
the year or maybe it changes month to
19:36
month whatever you focus on that thing
19:39
um you know it's like when I had a we
19:41
took it down because we're moving but I
19:43
have you know the word focus on my uh
19:46
wall with a Pokemon next to it of course
19:48
of course because
19:51
um it was just the word but you look at
19:53
the word focus and you think what am I
19:56
focusing on what is the thing to do so
19:57
focus on the one thing you're most
19:59
appreciative of maybe if it's an
20:02
overslew of everything maybe just like
20:04
generally life is what you preaching I
20:06
would say life I'd say appreciative life
20:07
ability of everything that I can do
20:10
in my day-to-day I most appreciative
20:13
generally
20:14
um but it's pretty cool if you guys want
20:16
to check it out the link is up there
20:17
maybe it's something you want to print
20:19
out put it on your wall
20:20
um they're all very you don't even
20:24
really need any utensils for it I mean
20:25
if you want to write them down you can
20:26
but really it's just a matter of looking
20:28
at them and thinking and just or put
20:31
them on your put them on your um screen
20:33
saver literally on your computer I have
20:35
I will I always put stuff right now I
20:38
have something that says Integrity is
20:40
everything
20:42
um because that's a really important
20:44
thing in my life and I like it and I'm
20:47
thankful when I see it another so that's
20:48
the word that I'm looking at Rob we have
20:50
some really cool swag right we are
20:53
encouraging people always so they should
20:55
go over to the altered Universe dot live
20:57
forward slash shop in addition to the
20:59
journals the importance of Now find your
21:02
passion love yourself all the things
21:03
we're literally just talking about
21:04
there's all sorts of other things
21:06
t-shirts and water bottles and what else
21:09
is there Rob um uh we got hoodies we
21:12
have an apron for the chef in the house
21:13
and we're gonna have so many more uh
21:16
things to come as well so everyone
21:18
clicking on the link and you'll probably
21:20
see something new in the next week or so
21:21
so absolutely absolutely and of course
21:24
we tell you every single week we also
21:26
have our free ebook our passion ebook
21:29
it's free guys go figure out how to find
21:32
your passion and to be grateful and
21:34
thankful for what you have go to minding
21:35
your mentalhealth.com and you'll find it
21:37
there as we do every single week we talk
21:40
about the different organ organizations
21:42
if you are feeling right now that you
21:46
need some assistance some support or
21:47
you're being triggered you want to go
21:49
check out some of these uh resources
21:52
nimh.nih.gov it's the governmental uh
21:55
body also nami.org all of these
21:58
organizations will help you and finally
22:00
if you are suffering right now and you
22:02
need some help don't wait there are
22:04
people out there that want to hear you
22:06
and want to listen to you and can help
22:08
you dial 988 and you will be sent to the
22:11
the person or persons that you need so
22:15
you're listening to minding your mental
22:17
health today with Rob and I I hope that
22:19
you've enjoyed the show any last minute
22:20
thoughts Rob that you want to share
22:25
um now uh go out and be grateful for go
22:28
out
22:31
thanks for all of this
22:34
see you next time on minding your mental
22:37
health goodbye everyone
#Health
#Mental Health
#Self-Help & Motivational