Happy November! November is the month of Thanksgiving, and that word means “the expression of gratitude.” This month, I want to talk about the power of expressing gratitude. For those that have know me for a long time, they know the “real me” is a person that can be afraid, skeptical, and negative. However, they also know that I fight those feelings and really make a conscious effort to be positive. I’ve always known in my heart I’ve had so much for which to be grateful, but I could never quite live in the present because I’ve tended to worry more about the future. That was until I started a daily ritual of ending every day with a gratitude statement.
When I started this, I gave myself permission to not have the statements be big or glamorous but focused more on the “real.” A few examples include lunch with a client – or the fact that I have clients, having a hearty laugh when my 3 year old very passionately ended her dinner prayer with “Awe Ha!” instead of “Amen,” having gas in my tank and for having a car, having the ability to exercise, having family close by, being loved by friends and family, feeling the humility and fear that comes with parenting, being in a loving marriage, having children who are not in the hospital, the rain, the sun, the cloudy day, and the blue sky! Nothing is off limits because we need to be grateful for the little things as much as the big things. The point is my gratitude statements did not have to be big and whenever I was feeling particularly negative or down. My gratitude statements were basic – food in my belly, clothes on my back, and a roof over my head.
What I did not expect this exercise to do, though, was change my perception of things. After months of practicing this daily ritual, I began noticing how much happier I was. It became increasingly more difficult to be negative when all I could think about were the positives. There were also days that I felt like my gratitude was flowing over, and it was hard to pick just one thing for that day. This also had a profound impact on my managing style, my mothering style, my marriage and my relationship with friends and family.
I wanted to share this because we all have things for which we should be grateful, and even if the company is losing money, you are out of work, or a loved one is sick, things could be worse. I would encourage you to think about what you are thankful or grateful for this month. And, as you close out the year, perhaps you can begin seeing the positive things that occur daily.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Carey
We do more than just fill jobs, we create them! 