Creating an Attitude of Gratitude

Blog by CJay Smith, CEC

For many people the Thanksgiving season is the one time of the year where being grateful seems to be the conversation as we gather around the dinner table enjoying the turkey, dressing and all the trimmings. Something that I started to do about three years ago was to concentrate on being grateful all year long, not just on turkey day. What I’ve learned to do is:

*Appreciate what I have, and not worry about what I don’t have.

*Choose to be present in the moment and take life one day at a time. I keep putting one foot in front of the other and realize that tomorrow is another day.

*Separate my concerns from my worries. If a situation is a concern, I try to figure out what to do about it and let go of the anxiety. If I can’t do anything about a situation, I pray…

*Live within my means. Now this one took me a little while to grasp. I wasn’t needlessly spending, as much as I was not being conscious about what I was spending. Once I became intentional about my spending, it made me more aware of the things I already had.

*Do something for the child in me every day. I laugh, sit on the floor, watch a funny show or take a nap. I remember reading this poem, A Return to Love by Marianne Williamson where she says “we were meant to shine as children do.”

*Write down my thoughts and inspirations. I journal, I keep inspirational thoughts recorded on my cell phone and I also keep a folder of inspirational stories that I have accumulated over the years.

*Find time every day to be alone. Being alone allows me to fully concentrate on what’s important in my life.

*Develop a forgiving attitude, not just forgiveness for me but forgiveness for others.

*Remind myself that I am not the general manager of the universe. I had to remember that it’s not always about me and to develop and attitude of gratitude by helping others.

*Every night before I go to bed, I think of one thing that I am grateful for. Several studies that I remember reading through the years suggest that people who record what they appreciate experience greater happiness, less anxiety and even better sleep. Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life…

Over the years these concepts have worked for me to develop my attitude of gratitude, my hope for you this Thanksgiving season is that they also work for you. Happy Turkey Day… Gobble, Gobble…