Alright, so I did my 10-12 minute presentation on gratitude in Positive Psychology this past week, and I was first. I am so happy I got it out of the way, and it actually went really well. I may have talked too fast, but such is life. So I'm going to break down my presentation for you.
I began by showing a clip from Friends. I just went to search for the video to post on here...and apparently it was deleted. So I'll just have to explain it to you guys. It's in the episode - The One With George Stephanopoulos. Rachel has recently run out on her wedding to Barry and is trying to figure out what she will do with her life now that she has to be an independent woman. Her old best friends came to visit her and she found out they were all either getting married, having a baby, or getting promoted. Rachel then walks into the apartment to Monica and Phoebe, and she begins freaking out about her life. Phoebe and Monica try and calm her down and tell her she has all these opportunities ahead of her. and Phoebe then says...
PHOEBE: You are just like Jack.
RACHEL: ...Jack from downstairs?
PHOEBE: No, Jack and the Beanstalk.
MONICA: Ah, the other Jack.
PHOEBE: Yeah, right! See, he gave up something, but then he got those magic beans. And then he woke up, and there was this, this big plant outside his window, full of possibilities and stuff.. And he lived in a village, and you live in the Village..
RACHEL: Okay, but Pheebs, Pheebs, Jack gave up a cow, I gave up an orthodontist. Okay, I-I-I know, I know I didn't love him-
PHOEBE: Oh, see, Jack did love the cow.
RACHEL: But see, it was a plan. Y'know, it was clear. It was figured out, and now everything's just kinda like-
PHOEBE: Floopy?
RACHEL: Yeah.
MONICA: So what, you're not the only one. I mean, half the time we don't know where we're going. You've just gotta figure at some point it's all gonna come together, and it's just gonna be... un-floopy.
PHOEBE: Oh, like that's a word.
RACHEL: Okay, but Monica, what if- what if it doesn't come together?
MONICA: ...Pheebs?
PHOEBE: Oh, well... 'cause.... you just... I don't like this question.
RACHEL: Okay, see, see, you guys, what if we don't get magic beans? I mean, what if all we've got are.. beans?
I then go into my presentation. I begin by sharing a personal story about a hard time I went through and how I also thought many times I didn't have magic beans in my life - honestly, I usually wouldn't mind sharing the personal story on my blog, but I just don't really want certain people to know some things, whether or not they read this blog.
Then I start with the main idea of my presentation. I came across this concept that intrigued me. It begins with the law of bivration, which says that everything in the universe, if broke down into it's purest and most basic form, is a vibrating mass of atoms and subatomic particles. This then leads us to the law of attraction, which says that this energy (vibrations) that you resonate and project based on your thoughts, feelings, and emotions determines your indivudally projected vibrational frequency, which broadcasts out into the world and attracts energy that harmonizes with it and determines the events, situations, and circumstances that you eventually see manifest into tangible forms in your life. This relates to gratitude because when you are in a sincere state of gratitude, your energy is one of acceptance and harmony. You then project a vibrational frequency that attracts you to the events, conditions, and circumstances that you desire. One way the theory is broke down even further is by using an analogy. Imagine you are a giant magnet. Whatever you are feeling, whether it be love, fear, anger, happiness, joy, or gratitude, you are creating a magnetic force that attracts events that are in direct correlation to what you are feeling. It is inevitably saying you are responsible for attracting and creating undesirable situations in your life. This may not be encouraging, but think again. If this is true, then it is also true that you are responsible for creating desirable situations in your life. You have the power and can consciously create better circumstances by expressing more gratitude.
I then explain how in my hard time, by focusing on all of the wonderful blessings in my life that GOD has given me and by thanking Him more, the hard time was made a lot easier and I was able to be happier. There is so much research out there that actually proves that by making gratitude more important in your life, you can actually raise your happiness set-point (if you remember this is the level of happiness that you either come back up to or come back down to after a negative or positive event in your life). And I think that's something we all thrive for in life. Who doesn't want to be happy?
I ended my presentation by bringing back the Friends reference. I told them that Rachel, by the end of the episode, realizes that she does have these magic beans in her life and they are her wonderful friends she now has. And she started counting her blessing or her magic beans and she calmed down and realized she was going to be ok. So I then had made everyone a little bag of "magic beans' which were just bags of jelly beans, but I wanted them to be reminded to count the magic beans in their life.
Therefore, I encourage all of you reading this to start looking at all of the things in your life you are blessed with. There is ALWAYS something you can be grateful for, even i a difficult or horrible situation. And I promise, you will start realizing you are a happier person.
ROSS: (Doing the spinning) Ok, Monica, right foot red.
MONICA: Could've played Monopoly, but noooo.
ROSS: Ok, Pheebs, right hand blue. (Pheobe has to bed over) Good. (Joey stares at her butt appreciatively)
(Phone rings, Chandler answers)
CHANDLER: Hello? Oh, uh, Rachel, it's the Visa card people
RACHEL: Oh, Ok. Will you take my place?
CHANDLER: Alright (to phone) Yes, this is Rachel
RACHEL: Nooo! (Takes the phone; Chandler takes her place) Hello? Oh, yeah, no, I know, I-I haven't been using it much. Oh, well, thanks, but, I'm ok, really.
ROSS: Green. To the green.
RACHEL: I've got magic beans. Never-nevermind.
CHANDLER: To the left, to the left-awww!
(They collapse)
RACHEL: Ohhh...I'm fine.
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