Giving Thanks — Develop an Attitude of Gratitude

Thanksgiving is around the corner. Life is already hectic. On top of all you do for your business, there’s the added stress of shopping, preparation, and cooking. Even the visiting with family can be a bit much. Not to mention that every year it seems like Thanksgiving gets overshadowed between Halloween and Christmas. The one-day, literally set aside for us to be conscious of all that we have to be thankful for, passes us by with barely an acknowledgement. It’s the perfect time to cultivate an attitude of gratitude…

Thankfulness will absolutely change your life. An attitude of gratitude will transform relationships, work environment, family life, and overall satisfaction in your life. And it’s not a difficult achievement. You just have to look at your life a bit differently. Like anything else worthwhile, it needs to become a habit. The good news is that you don’t have to buy special equipment, experience any discomfort, or physical exertion to achieve an attitude of gratitude.

Mindfulness is not just a buzzword, it’s a way of life. Being conscious of everything in your life helps you to make better decisions and achieve the life you want to live. Gratitude is simply being mindful of the goodness that is present in your life. We take time out of every day to accomplish the many tasks that make up our personal responsibilities. We think about our problems, worry about things we can’t do anything about (mostly because they are in the past), and we gorge ourselves on our failure flakes.

There are 1440 minutes in a day, how many minutes do you spend thinking about the good stuff in your life? Counting your blessings? Noticing the simple pleasures? Can you stop right now and think of five things for which you are grateful? Gratitude shifts your focus from what your life lacks, to the abundance that is already present. What if I told you that studies show that practicing gratitude can increase happiness levels by more than 25%. We all long to be happier. Would you be willing to exert a little effort for a positive gain towards happiness?

“Piglet noticed that even though he had a Very Small Heart, it could hold a rather large amount of Gratitude.” ~A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

Here are some tips that will help you cultivate an attitude of gratitude:

• Notice your day-to-day world from a point of gratitude and be amazed at all the goodness we take for granted.
• Give at least one compliment daily. It can be to a person or it can be asking someone to share your appreciation of something else (“Don’t you just love the crispness in the air this time of year?”).
• When you find yourself in a bad situation ask: What can I learn? When I look back on this, without emotion, what will I be grateful for?
• Keep a gratitude journal. All it requires is noting one or more things you are grateful for on a daily basis. No fancy notebook, no computer program required. There are even some great apps for your smartphone to keep your journal at your fingertips.
• Work toward staying present and mindful. When it comes down to it, staying focused on the present is a very powerful force that can eliminate a significant amount of stress, particularly when the going gets tough.
• Vow to not complain, criticize, or gossip. If you slip, rally your willpower and keep going. Notice the amount of energy you were spending on negative thoughts and actions.
• Sit for 5 minutes twice a day and visualize at least 3 things you are grateful for in your life. You may repeat the same things until you become more mindful and expand your gratitude meter.
• Read positive books and blogs; find, and like, uplifting Facebook pages.

“Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.” ~William Arthur Ward

Discover all that is possible when you cultivate an attitude of gratitude and give thanks regularly. I promise, you’ll feel good all over…