Make it your positive addiction…
For me, Thanksgiving has always been a reminder to appreciate all the good in our lives. This can include family, friends, and colleagues as well as fruitful lifestyles, good health, and wellness. The most wonderful aspect about this holiday is how it tends to focus us onto all things positive and away from gift-giving for materialistic motivations.
During this time, we are reminded that there is more to be thankful for than to be sad about. I’ve been reading and learning about the power of positive thinking for many years now — specifically to look at the glass as half-full rather than half-empty. After almost two years of pandemic living, it’s a welcome relief to gather with our friends and loved ones to celebrate.
Some of us have experienced losses and feeling gratitude might be more difficult. But there is always something to be grateful for, even when feeling alone and lonely.
Some say they don’t have time for gratitude in their busy lives. I was introduced to a ‘gratitude journal’ at a work event many years ago. It was highly recommended as a way to show gratitude on a daily basis. I loved the idea of taking time every day to recognize the things I was grateful for. However, in those days, time for journaling seemed scarce in my busy life.
The concept of keeping the journal was easy enough. It simply involved making notes at the end of each day of the things I was grateful for. The format and details were up to me — list form, paragraph form or bulleted list — whatever worked for me. I treated myself to a new “pretty” notebook, got started and have never stopped since. I wrote about what I was grateful for each day, even on difficult days. I wrote about things I was grateful for then that I once thought I didn’t need. I wrote about privileges I was taking for granted. It allowed me to put a lens on to the day that selectively allowed me to see more of the positive.
I learned that expressing gratitude in writing produced a sense of appreciation, reduced my stress and strengthened my emotional resilience. It has been a continual reminder of the importance of incorporating gratitude into my stream of consciousness. It’s my reminder that, even when it seems I’ve hit rock bottom, there is always hope that will come out on the other side.
Living a life of gratitude is my positive addiction.
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