Gratitude, gratitude, gratitude!
Family, friends, food, and fall are all reasons to be grateful. In addition, Thanksgiving has traditionally been a holiday of gratitude.
I almost like November more than December because gratitude is the juice that keeps me going when I’m down and out. Of course, we focus on gratitude this time of year, but it is something we should practice throughout the year.
Gratitude is important because it is an exchange of energy. It is about noticing, appreciating, and expressing thanks to someone or something. It is FREE, it is EASY, and it doesn’t require a lot of thought or planning,
It isn’t unusual for one to slip into the habit of negativity. However, we need to look back with gratitude to find those moments when we felt good by receiving kindness from someone. By learning the skill of practicing gratitude, we can learn to direct our attention away from the negative toward the positive things that matter to us.
Author Melody Beattie said, “Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, and confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger to a friend.”
There are many ways to practice gratitude. My personal favorite is keeping a gratitude journal where I can remind myself of the good that has happened in my life. Then, I set aside time to reflect on moments of gratitude in ordinary events, my attributes, or people in my life.
My mama taught me to be polite above all things. Open the door for people, say please and thank you, bless you when someone sneezes, etc. You can speak gratefully by using words of gratitude such as thank you, blessings, and appreciation to uplift the listener.
We were all taught that actions speak louder than words. So how do you act around others? Saying thank you, smiling, donating, and encouraging others can make the other person feel good, and you too!
People comment on how I am so positive most of the time. Well, it is the result of an attitude of gratitude. It just takes a moment; best of all, it’s FREE and very easy to use.
We have all experienced anxiety over the past few years. Anxiety likes to remind us of the things that have gone wrong. However, when we look at the past through the lens of gratitude, we find that the good far outweighs the bad.
Sometimes when I am feeling a bit low, I focus on what makes me feel grateful. Yes! Even the cool, clear delicious water in my bottle or my amazing smartphone. Whether big or small, it is all worth acknowledging.
We often think of thanksgiving this month as the fuel for the practice of gratitude. That’s awesome, but giving thanks isn’t just for Thanksgiving Day. I hope you will join me and make gratitude a daily practice all year. I am grateful to have a career that allows me to help people make good decisions on one of the most significant investments of their life. Contact me, Stephen Burchard, The Desert Bowtie Realtor, taking the (k)nots out of real estate.
