A life that focuses on being grateful in the world is a happier, less stressful life. It doesn’t mean that you won’t have moments of doubt or even anger, but focusing on thankfulness will take the steam out of negative feelings.
Thanksgiving is a good time to share with family and friends those things for which you are thankful. Take a moment before your meal for each person to specifically say at least one thing for which they are grateful.
This is also a good time of the year to start a daily ritual to remind yourself of those things that make you grateful. This ritual only takes a few minutes, but if it’s done in the morning you can set your mood for the day. When you do it in the evening you can remind yourself of good things no matter how your day went.
For this ritual a small notebook is usually best. Keep the notebook in the same place and add to it at the same time each day. Hand writing, rather than typing, your gratitude magnifies the impact. Date the entry and write at least one thing for which you are grateful.
Be descriptive. Rather than writing, “I’m grateful for my home,” you might write, “I’m grateful for the beautiful sunsets I see from the warmth of my home.”
Be mindful of expressing your feelings. You can say something like, “I’m grateful for the feeling of joy I get while watching my child successfully get through a recent struggle in life.”
I’m grateful that many of you have told me that you like my newsletter and that I have had the discipline to bring it to you each month. Happy Thanksgiving!
