Latest / Dr. Derek H. Suite MD - The SuiteSpot / GratitudeUnlocked 2/7: See What’s Helping — Your Fastest Way Out of Stuck #TakeActionTuesday

Transcript

GratitudeUnlocked 2/7: See What’s Helping — Your Fastest Way Out of Stuck #TakeActionTuesday · Dr. Derek H. Suite MD - The SuiteSpot

• 0:05
  SPEAKER_00: Greetings and welcome.
• 0:07
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome to the Sweet Spot.
• 0:08
  SPEAKER_00: I'm Dr.
• 0:09
  SPEAKER_00: Derek Sweet.
• 0:10
  SPEAKER_00: I'm your board certified psychiatrist, but more than that, I'm your partner on this journey we're taking through gratitude.
• 0:18
  SPEAKER_00: We are unlocking gratitude.
• 0:21
  SPEAKER_00: This is the Gratitude Unlocked series.
• 0:25
  SPEAKER_00: And for the past couple of weeks, we've been spending a whole lot of time just wondering why is gratitude so underrated, why is it so underused?
• 0:36
  SPEAKER_00: And figuring out some of the benefits that we can get from gratitude.
• 0:41
  SPEAKER_00: This week we've been spending time and walking through Dr.
• 0:45
  SPEAKER_00: Robert Emmons's book, Thanks.
• 0:48
  SPEAKER_00: Because, as we said, it gives us something rare, a scientifically grounded, practical, and honestly life-changing look at what gratitude does to our psychology, our energy, even our relationships.
• 1:12
  SPEAKER_00: Yesterday, we talked about gratitude widening your field of vision, how it helps you see openings that stress usually hides.
• 1:24
  SPEAKER_00: Because when we're stressed out, we narrow our visual field, we go into survival mode and we miss things when we're under stress.
• 1:33
  SPEAKER_00: Today, we're going to take the next step in Emmons' book, How Gratitude Fuels Action.
• 1:41
  SPEAKER_00: Well, that makes sense.
• 1:42
  SPEAKER_00: It's Take Action Tuesday anyway.
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_00: So Emmons puts it quite simply.
• 1:48
  SPEAKER_00: To be grateful is to recognize the gifts that enable us to act.
• 1:55
  SPEAKER_00: I'll say that again.
• 1:56
  SPEAKER_00: To be grateful is to recognize the gifts that enable us to act.
• 2:03
  SPEAKER_00: And the key word here is recognize.
• 2:07
  SPEAKER_00: Because action begins in recognition, not pressure.
• 2:15
  SPEAKER_00: But let's make this more real.
• 2:17
  SPEAKER_00: Let's talk about how, how you access gratitude before you act.
• 2:24
  SPEAKER_00: Because people always ask, Dr.
• 2:26
  SPEAKER_00: Sweet, where do I start with this stuff?
• 2:29
  SPEAKER_00: What should I be grateful for?
• 2:32
  SPEAKER_00: Anything?
• 2:32
  SPEAKER_00: Something specific?
• 2:34
  SPEAKER_00: How do I get there in the moment?
• 2:37
  SPEAKER_00: Great questions.
• 2:38
  SPEAKER_00: Here's the first step.
• 2:40
  SPEAKER_00: The actual starting line.
• 2:42
  SPEAKER_00: The first step I would say is pause the pressure for a second.
• 2:48
  SPEAKER_00: Just one breath.
• 2:52
  SPEAKER_00: Interrupt the I'm not ready.
• 2:56
  SPEAKER_00: This is too much.
• 2:57
  SPEAKER_00: I'm overwhelmed.
• 2:59
  SPEAKER_00: I don't have enough.
• 3:00
  SPEAKER_00: How am I gonna do this?
• 3:02
  SPEAKER_00: Interrupt that loop with just one breath.
• 3:06
  SPEAKER_00: Do it with me now.
• 3:07
  SPEAKER_00: One breath.
• 3:10
  SPEAKER_00: And then let it out.
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_00: Always make the exit, always make the exhale longer than the inhale.
• 3:17
  SPEAKER_00: And when you pause the pressure, when you interrupt your loop of negativity or worry or anxiety with one breath, the next step is to ask one question.
• 3:29
  SPEAKER_00: What's helping me right now?
• 3:32
  SPEAKER_00: That's it.
• 3:33
  SPEAKER_00: You don't need a big spiritual revelation.
• 3:36
  SPEAKER_00: Just name one supportive thing that's real in this moment.
• 3:42
  SPEAKER_00: It could be anything.
• 3:44
  SPEAKER_00: It could be a skill you've trained, a strength you rely on, a person who believes in you, a piece of knowledge you've earned, a moment of calm, anything.
• 3:56
  SPEAKER_00: It could be the fact that you've been through a hard thing before.
• 3:59
  SPEAKER_00: I just want you to reflect on that.
• 4:00
  SPEAKER_00: After you take a deep breath, you ask this one question: what is here that's helping me right now?
• 4:09
  SPEAKER_00: And my friend, when you do that, gratitude starts stabilizing you.
• 4:18
  SPEAKER_00: The third step, let your mind pull forward what's relevant.
• 4:24
  SPEAKER_00: This is where people confuse remembering with gratitude, right?
• 4:28
  SPEAKER_00: When you remember something that works, when you remember your skill, you remember what's keeping you steady, you're not just recalling the past, you're recognizing the strength that's inside that memory.
• 4:41
  SPEAKER_00: You're not saying I remember I trained.
• 4:44
  SPEAKER_00: You're saying I'm grateful that I've trained.
• 4:48
  SPEAKER_00: I'm grateful that I'm not walking into this game empty.
• 4:53
  SPEAKER_00: And once you feel that shift, action stops feeling heavy and starts feeling possible.
• 5:00
  SPEAKER_00: Let's make this even more concrete.
• 5:03
  SPEAKER_00: A point guard heading into a tough matchup, he realizes this.
• 5:10
  SPEAKER_00: I've got instincts.
• 5:13
  SPEAKER_00: I studied film, I took the coaching, I'm conditioned.
• 5:19
  SPEAKER_00: That's not just remembering.
• 5:21
  SPEAKER_00: That's gratitude turning preparation into confidence.
• 5:27
  SPEAKER_00: By remembering the preparation, remembering how prepared you are, remembering all the work you put in, you are using your preparation combined with the gratitude for confidence.
• 5:39
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you're a leader, a business person, a CEO, you're entering a high-pressure meeting, okay?
• 5:44
  SPEAKER_00: And you realize, hey, I've got expertise.
• 5:51
  SPEAKER_00: I studied the data, I have a team that works with me, I trust them.
• 5:56
  SPEAKER_00: I'm gonna be good here.
• 5:58
  SPEAKER_00: Just taking that moment of gratitude helps you breathe again, center yourself, and get ready for the meeting.
• 6:06
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you're a mom juggling work, you got kids, you have aging parents, and it's coming at you left and right.
• 6:14
  SPEAKER_00: And you take a moment and you take a breath and you ask yourself what's working now.
• 6:22
  SPEAKER_00: Alright, I've got support, I've got love, I'm surrounded by resilience, I'm good.
• 6:29
  SPEAKER_00: Gratitude taking the weight off your chest.
• 6:34
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you're a student, you're overwhelmed by an assignment, you've got a whole lot of work to do, and you take a moment and you realize I've gotten through hard things before, I've been overwhelmed before, and it has worked.
• 6:49
  SPEAKER_00: I have figured it out.
• 6:50
  SPEAKER_00: Gratitude will match that fear you have with the evidence of the things you have overcome.
• 6:57
  SPEAKER_00: And there's a famous saying, right, in ancient wisdom, through many dangers, toils, and snares, I've already come.
• 7:05
  SPEAKER_00: My mom puts it this way: that if it's not gonna kill you, okay?
• 7:10
  SPEAKER_00: It you you've done this before.
• 7:14
  SPEAKER_00: Every one of those moments that I just gave you begins with the same pivot.
• 7:20
  SPEAKER_00: What's helping me right now?
• 7:24
  SPEAKER_00: That's the key.
• 7:26
  SPEAKER_00: You take the breath and then you ask yourself, what's here to help me?
• 7:30
  SPEAKER_00: What's working?
• 7:31
  SPEAKER_00: What's steady?
• 7:35
  SPEAKER_00: And the science backs this up.
• 7:39
  SPEAKER_00: There's a field in science called embodied cognition.
• 7:43
  SPEAKER_00: Your thoughts shape the way your body prepares to move.
• 7:48
  SPEAKER_00: I'll say it again.
• 7:50
  SPEAKER_00: Embodied cognition.
• 7:52
  SPEAKER_00: Your thoughts shape the way your body prepares to move.
• 7:56
  SPEAKER_00: When your mind focuses on what you lack, your body contracts, your breath shortens, your shoulders tighten, your stance narrows, everything gets as tight and worried, and everything is gonna tell you wait, hesitate.
• 8:10
  SPEAKER_00: And then if you're an athlete, you screw up on the court or the field or the ice or the pitch.
• 8:16
  SPEAKER_00: If you're in business, you're tight in the room.
• 8:19
  SPEAKER_00: If you're at home, you're edgy.
• 8:22
  SPEAKER_00: But when gratitude shifts your focus to what you have, your whole system changes.
• 8:30
  SPEAKER_00: When you start thinking with gratitude, remembering what I have that's working, your posture opens, your breath deepens, your jaw unclenches, your motor systems.
• 8:40
  SPEAKER_00: Interpret that as readiness.
• 8:44
  SPEAKER_00: You see, gratitude doesn't change your mood, don't get me wrong.
• 8:48
  SPEAKER_00: It just changes your physical starting point and you begin to act differently.
• 8:55
  SPEAKER_00: Denzel Washington had a great quote.
• 8:57
  SPEAKER_00: He said this I thank God for my gifts, then I go use them.
• 9:03
  SPEAKER_00: That's a great quote for Take Action Tuesday.
• 9:06
  SPEAKER_00: I thank God for my gifts, then I go use them.
• 9:10
  SPEAKER_00: So today I want you to recognize your gifts.
• 9:13
  SPEAKER_00: I want you to feel your gifts.
• 9:14
  SPEAKER_00: What are your gifts?
• 9:15
  SPEAKER_00: You're amazing, you're extraordinary.
• 9:18
  SPEAKER_00: I want you to move with the uh conscious awareness of your gifts.
• 9:22
  SPEAKER_00: And before you take that next step, pause and ask, what's helping me right now?
• 9:29
  SPEAKER_00: Name it, let it land, and then move.
• 9:32
  SPEAKER_00: The affirmation for today is this Today I'm acting with gratitude, grounded, equipped, and ready to move.
• 9:41
  SPEAKER_00: That's who you are.
• 9:43
  SPEAKER_00: I'm proud of you.
• 9:44
  SPEAKER_00: You're amazing, you're extraordinary.
• 9:46
  SPEAKER_00: Let's go get it.
• 9:48
  SPEAKER_00: It's Take Action Tuesday.
• 9:50
  SPEAKER_00: Let's move with gratitude.
• 9:53
  SPEAKER_00: I'm Dr.
• 9:54
  SPEAKER_00: Derek Sweet.
• 9:55
  SPEAKER_00: Tomorrow is Win It All Wednesday, and we're going deeper into Emmons' work, into this book, into how gratitude sharpens your competitive mindset.
• 10:04
  SPEAKER_00: It quiets this whole thing about comparison, and it helps you play your game without your ego hijacking the wheel.
• 10:14
  SPEAKER_00: Gratitude could do all that, and we'll also unpack some of the science behind it.
• 10:20
  SPEAKER_00: Like you've never heard it before.
• 10:21
  SPEAKER_00: I guarantee you.
• 10:22
  SPEAKER_00: See you tomorrow.
• 10:23
  SPEAKER_00: Love and blessings.