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Community Corner

Speaker: Gratitude is key to happiness and success

A Stow Presbyterian Church Wednesday Night Speaker Series Event


Is your life going according to plan? Are you as healthy, happy and successful as you would like? If not, according to gratitude strategist Lisa Ryan, you may be in need of a “gratitude adjustment.”


Ms. Ryan is an MBA who specializes in helping people and businesses incorporate gratitude into their daily practices to improve personal perspective and customer service. She will share how developing a habit of gratitude can lead to significant improvement in perspective, health,  relationships, and prosperity as part of the Wednesday Night Speaker Series at Stow Presbyterian Church, 4150 Fishcreek Road, on April 3 at 7:00 p.m. This event is free and open to the community.    

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“Mother Teresa once said that we are more starved for appreciation than we are for bread,” Ms. Ryan said. “Research shows that people with a gratitude practice are happier, they work out more often, they complain less often, they have fewer physical ailments, and they are more emotionally available and nicer to be around. Gratitude works!"


Ms. Ryan has developed a gratitude “process” based on the acronym S.H.O.W. (Self, Health, Others, Wealth) that introduces simple changes and practices into people’s lives and explores the physical and financial benefits of a more positive mindset. One practice she advocates to her audiences and clients is keeping a gratitude journal.

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“Keeping a gratitude journal has had a profound impact on my life,” Ms. Ryan said. “The simple act of writing down five things each day for which I'm grateful has led to a stronger relationship with my husband, a new career that I love, and I am happy. Life is great with gratefulness!”


In addition to the individual benefits of gratitude, Ms. Ryan said an appreciative approach is also a critical factor in successful relationships.


“We sometimes take the people in our lives that we love for granted,” she said. “Simply by acknowledging them for the little things they do, and thanking them—both verbally and in the written word—we create stronger, more loving and satisfying relationships.”


And while gratitude is easy to find during the good times, it can also be a source of great strength and inspiration during difficult times.


“When my father had a stroke, he had great difficulty carrying on a conversation,” Ms. Ryan explained. “When he couldn't say anything else, he would simply say, ‘Thank you.’ Here is a man going through the most difficult health challenge of his life, and yet whenever he had the opportunity, he would thank all of those around him for their help.”


Ms. Ryan is the founder of Grategy® (www.grategy.com) and co-founder of the Positive Thinkers Network (www.positivethinkersnetwork.com), both based in Cleveland. She is featured in the award-winning film, “The Keeper of the Keys,” with Jack Canfield of Chicken Soup for the Soul. Her second feature film, “The Gratitude Experiment” will be released in 2013. She is also the author of two books, The Upside of Down Times: Discovering the Power of Gratitude and With Excellence.


Ms. Ryan’s presentation concludes the 2012-2013 Wednesday Night Speaker Series at Stow Presbyterian Church. Speaker schedule for the 2013-2014 series will be available in August. For more information about Stow Presbyterian Church’s programs and activities, call 330-688-6935, email info@stowpres.org  or go online to www.stowpres.org.  

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