Thanksgiving is that beautiful day when we focus on expressing gratitude for all the good things in our lives and the wonderful people who’ve enhanced our lives.
Instead of limiting your expression of gratitude to one day a year, why not express gratitude daily by developing a consistent practice of focusing on and giving thanks for the good things in your life. Here are two of my favorite techniques:
- The Gratitude Journal
Start writing down everything you’re grateful for at the beginning or at the end of each day. When you’ve had days when it’s hard to identify something to be grateful for, express your gratitude anyway – even if it’s for the smallest simplest thing. As time goes on, you’ll notice that your list will get longer, and you’ll begin to feel more optimistic and peaceful.
This practice is especially powerful when you’re navigating the uncertainty of a life or career transition. By taking time to ground yourself by focusing on what you’re grateful for, you’ll shift from a stressed, depressed or angry state to one that is calmer, hopeful and more positive.
- Gratitude in the Moment
You can use the power of gratitude anytime and anywhere to shift your energy. I turned to this practice one rainy day when I was caught in a traffic jam on the way to an important meeting. As I started to stress about being late, my inner wisdom teacher challenged me to list ten things to be grateful for in that moment.
I took three deep breaths and started my list. I gave thanks for my car, a full tank of gas, the ability to drive a car, the opportunity presented by this meeting, the fact that it was only rain – not snow and ice – that was snarling traffic. I expressed gratitude for the navigation system that provided directions to my destination. As I focused on looking for the good in the situation, I became a lot calmer and showed up at the meeting in a great mood and only five minutes late!
Following this practice of Gratitude in the Moment is a powerful way of shifting your energy in any situation so that you show up in life as calm, joyful, and competent.
Gratitude is one of the most powerful emotions and research has shown that expressing gratitude increases our feelings of happiness, optimism, and self-worth.
Moreover, according to Rick Hanson, author of Resilient – Find Your Inner Strength, tuning into gratitude renews your resilience and decreases feelings of anxiety, envy, and depression.
Shifting from feeling you don’t have enough to focusing on the good in your life can be a life altering mind shift. As we prepare to enter a new year, consider celebrating thanksgiving daily!
“The single greatest thing you can do to change your life today would be to start being grateful for what you have right now.” – Oprah Winfrey
