Gratitude was never something I saw as a normal attitude. In fact, for many years I was more of a glass is half empty kind of person. I’d also find myself freaking out and falling into negative thinking when I felt as if my glass was totally empty.
Then I learnt about the power of gratitude and decided to give it a try.
At first, I kept a Gratitude Journal where I’d list the things I’m grateful for each day. However, I’d forget some days and then beat myself up about it, which meant that I was creating the opposite of what I wanted to.
Nowadays, I fall asleep with the words, “Thank you Lord for…” and I list my gratitudes (what I’m grateful for that day). I also wake up with the same words, “Thank you Lord for…” and once again I list my gratitudes.
Additionally, I pause a few times during the day to close my eyes, take a deep breath, look outside, and say, “Thank you!” This is such simple but very powerful activity that immediately puts me in a positive frame of mind.
My weekly business planner also has space for gratitudes. It’s actually the first task listed on the second page of the planner where I do an evaluation of the week. This is where I list the 5 things I’m grateful for that week.
At the end of the month, I sift through the gratitude lists from my weekly planners for that month, pick the top 5 and write them out in the evaluation for the month.
At the end of the year, I look through my monthly planners, pick the top 12 things I’m grateful for that year and write them down in my annual evaluation. This list kicks off my planning for the new year.
“Often, people ask how I manage to be happy despite having no arms and no legs. The quick answer is that I have a choice. I can be angry about not having limbs. Or I can be thankful that I have a purpose. I choose gratitude.”
~ Nick Vujicic
Gratitude is now a habit and a way of life for me.
Here’s a summary of how I got here.
- I tried keeping a daily Gratitude Journal but it didn’t work.
- I came up with the ritual of listing my gratitudes last thing at night and first thing in the morning.
- The rituals became habits.
- I added the gratitude habit to my weekly, monthly, and annual business reviews.
As for my half-empty glass, I’ve come to view that as a good thing. I can drain the glass and say “Thank you”, or I can fill the glass and still say “Thank you”. It’s all up to me.
I also value the times when the glass feels totally empty because that is when breakthroughs happen…the glass has to be cleaned up before you get new insights or new beginnings.
It’s easy to be grateful when things are working out for you or when you receive something. Being grateful no matter what is going on in your life, and especially during the hard times, is a mindset shift.
Choose gratitude. Make it a way of life, and you’ll see miracles in all your experiences.
What are you grateful for today? Let’s hear from you in the Comments.
(Image credit: Unsplash)
