Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Foreign.
[00:00:11] Speaker B: What'S Worthwhile Healing Mind, Body, and Spirit I'm Ramsey Zimmerman. I choose peace of mind, vitality of body, and joy of spirit over stress, exhaustion, or overwhelm. Together, let's explore and pursue the many ways to build holistic health and wellness.
[00:00:32] Speaker A: Hey there, It's Ramsey here. My guest this week got me thinking about a feeling we could all use more of gratefulness. And then I started wondering if that's one corner of the emotional landscape, what fills the others? It turns out there's a simple way to map the different ways we feel about the past and the future. And once you see it, you might also see a way to spend more of your life in the places that build your peace of mind, vitality of body, and joy of spirit. Let's map those out.
Gratefulness is more than just feeling pleased about something that happened. It's the recognition that something good was given, something worthwhile occurred, and that you are richer for it.
When we rest in that awareness, it feeds peace of mind, strengthens vitality by lowering stress, and builds joy of spirit through deeper connection with people and with God. The only caution if we live entirely in yesterday's blessings, we might miss today's opportunities.
Bitterness, in contrast, is a bad feeling about the past, the sense that something was unfair or unresolved. In small doses, it can be a signal worth listening to, pointing us toward repair or justice. But as a default setting, it corrodes everything. Gratefulness strengthens.
It churns the mind, keeps the body tense, and makes joy scarce.
Worry is bitterness's future focused cousin. At its best, it's a warning system, telling us to look out for and prepare for what might be coming. But when worry becomes a habit, it hijacks peace of mind, wears down vitality through constant tension and poor rest, and mutes joy of spirit until even good moments feel heavy.
And then there is hope, the good feeling about what's ahead. Hope says there is something worth working for, worth waiting for, worth stepping towards when it's active and grounded. Hope fuels focus, strengthens the body through motivated action, and infuses joy with meaning. Yes, hope risks disappointment, but without it, the future becomes a blank wall instead of an open door.
I know it's easier said than done to be grateful and hopeful all the time. How can we not be bitter about things that were taken from us or ways that we were cheated?
Likewise, how could we not worry about all the things that are precarious and could go wrong at any time? I get it. I've been there.
But here's the thing.
We can choose to not live there.
We can choose to be more grateful, to actively look for the things that are good.
And we can choose to hope, to stay open, to be optimistic that things will at least kind of work out and not all false pieces.
We can choose our mindset. That means being mindful, being observant of our own state of mind.
How am I feeling about what happened? How am I feeling about what might happen?
Okay, yes, I see and acknowledge the bad stuff.
What can I do about that? How can I move past it? How can I focus on the good and grow?
So this week as we talk about gratefulness with my guest, I invite you to notice where you are spending most of your time. Looking back in bitterness or gratefulness, looking forward in worry or hope.
And if you find yourself more often in the lower half of that chart, consider what it might take to climb higher.
The view, I promise you, is better up here, and for today, that is enough.
[00:04:14] Speaker C: Looking for more? Visit whatsworthwhile.net to listen to podcast episodes, learn from books and articles, and live better by choosing healthy products and practices. I'm now offering services through worthwhile advisors for personal coaching, professional advising, speaking and group facilitation. If you or your team are ready to reduce stress and anxiety, build vitality and momentum, and accomplish your goals without burning out, then please contact me, Ramsey Zimmerman, through the website or on social media like Instagram X or LinkedIn. Thanks.
