What Nobody Told Me About Being Thankful
Seven ways that practicing thankfulness helped me gain a new perspective on life, entrepreneurship, and failure.
Late one night about a month ago I was laying sleeplessly in bed when I realized that I had stopped being thankful. It had to be at least 2am and I had been dwelling on all my failures for at least 3 hours.
This was on repeat inside my head:
You’re two months into this and you’re nowhere. You are a failure. You are not meant to be an entrepreneur. Sure you’ve acquired a few contract clients to pay the bills, but you are nowhere with building a sustainable business.
Then with a force stronger than gale force winds, I was hit by the thought that I should be more thankful. I immediately felt a lump in my throat.
I was failing alright. I was failing really badly. But not in the ways I thought. I was failing at being thankful.
In the haste of my desire to build a business, I put together all these lofty goals. I lined up the strategies, tactics, and to-do lists like a mother duck guiding her ducklings to cross the road.
I had everything together except gratitude and a heart to serve.
That night I made myself a deal. I would take the next month to practice being thankful in all things. To approach life each day with thanks instead of uncertainty, fear, and blame.
These are the things I wish somebody would have told me about practicing thankfulness.
Being thankful is an action.
You have to show up every single day with a conscious decision to be thankful. You know you’re being thankful when your feelings require an outward action. It’s something you do.
Thankfulness must be practiced.
You will have to practice approaching every situation, every struggle, and each day with thankful heart and mindset.
It will awaken your creativity spirit.
Everyone has some creative inclinations. Being thankful will enhance your creativity in ways you can’t anticipate or expect. You’ll find new ways to express yourself.
Gratitude will help you get unstuck.
It’s like the “attitude adjustment” your dad always promised when you were a kid. Find yourself getting stuck or frustrated? Find something you are thankful for in the project.
You’ll start noticing beauty in ordinary places.
The other night I was laying in bed thinking about what I was thankful for and I noticed a picture frame on my bedside bookshelf.
I was immediately drawn how the dim bedroom light enhanced the photo. The photo of my brother and I at my wedding became brand new again. The memory of that day became as fresh as if it had just happened.
Thankfulness drives human connection.
When I started to focus on being more thankful, I found it easier to connect with the people around me. Family, friends, and strangers alike.
Gratitude will change your life.
Practicing thankfulness is more than just sending thank you cards or saying “thank you” when somebody opens the door. It’s a way of life that will stretch you like a Cross-Fit for your emotional self.
That late night was the beginning of a journey. A journey that has no known destination. A journey that has no expectations except to find a way to be thankful in all things.
That lump in my throat became tears of joy as a feeling of comfort swept over my entire body like a warm blanket. Not even 30 minutes later, I was fast asleep.
In what ways has being thankful changed your life? Share your story in the comments below.
