How to Be Thankful All Year Round
It’s the most wonderful time of the year.
Between Thanksgiving and today, you’ve likely seen constant examples of goodwill and cheer via glee-filled commercials, corporate announcements, and toy drives. It seems like everywhere you go, there is a reminder to be thankful for what we have and where we are.
I wholeheartedly agree that we should show gratitude during the holiday season. However, why wait until December to be the thankful spirit? In order to get to the next level in your success, you must continually be thankful for what you have.
Trust me, I as well as anyone know how easy it is to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of life. You work and work and work, simply trying to keep up with the demands we place on ourselves. We must stop and remind ourselves daily of our conveniences, no matter how small you think they are.
The fact that you’re even able to read this post can be considered a blessing.
For example, I have in the past few months been squeezed for cash. Taxes, some hospital visits, home repairs, larger-than-expected bills, investing heavily into my growing business, and an emergency loan to family members have all put the household in a very precarious financial situation.
Now, it would be easy to focus on how sad my bank account is. However, I choose to be thankful. I’m thankful that I have a strong job to keep me afloat during this storm. I’m thankful that I’m in a position to be the lender and not the borrower. I’m thankful I have a roof over my head and have not been without. I’m thankful that I have a business to invest in. There are a lot of people out there that have less than I have, so I choose to stay humble and show gratitude for my blessings I have been graced with.
How to check your thankfulness
Most of us now probably understand the importance of gratitude in our lives. With that being said, HOW do you determine whether you’re being thankful enough? Here are 3 ways you can check yourself before you become ungrateful:
1. Comparison to others. When you compare yourself to others, it can really take your eye off the ball. You begin looking at what other people have and what they are doing, losing sight of what you have going on. Block out what people are saying and stay in your lane.
2. Response to disappointment or rejection. When you get disappointed, how do you react? What do you say? It can be natural to beat yourself up about it, but focus on what is working instead.
3. How you treat other people. What do people say about you when you’re not around? How do you act around and talk to people when you are around? Your words and your actions can say a lot about you. Make sure you don’t represent yourself as an arrogant or boastful jerk. Remember, pride comes before the fall.
When to remind yourself to be thankful
Finally, you need to know when to remind yourself to be thankful, so you don’t fall into the trap of pride and ungratefulness. Here are some tips you can use daily to keep gratitude fresh in your mind.
1. When you wake up. The first thing we should do after we open our eyes in the morning is remind ourselves how thankful we are to even be awake. Think about it: not everyone shared in this same fortune. Ecology.com reports that over 151,000 did not open their eyes today, so if nothing else, appreciate that fact. If you have trouble remembering, add it as a calendar reminder on your phone or use IFTTT to text you every morning when your alarm goes off (more on IFTTT and 14 other great productivity apps here). Include appreciation as part of your morning ritual and you’ll start your day off the right way.
2. Before you go to bed. Similar to my first point, the next best time to be thankful is before you go to bed. A lot happened between the time you woke up and the time you went to bed, and sometimes we focus on the negatives way too much before we call it a night (especially if you watch the nightly news before bed). As you close your eyes for the evening, think of one thing that happened that day. That will help you to wake up in a much better mood the following morning, which has a domino effect on how that day will turn out.
3. When something bad happens. When we experience loss, disappointment, rejection, or anger, it’s easy to get caught up in the moment. Many times, we will let one situation ruin the rest of our day, week, month, or even the rest of our year. Instead, counteract your negative feelings with feelings of praise, gratitude, and kindness. I know this advice may sound a bit woo-woo, and it is perfectly normal to get angry, depressed, or hurt when you have a negative experience. However, imagine how much quicker you can move past the situation if you begin to respond positively rather than negatively.
Look, being grateful throughout the entire year isn’t easy. Most people are fine just to reserve thankfulness for the holidays. However, in order to be continually successful, you must do the things that others don’t normally do. Thus, choose to be thankful ALL year round, instead of one month per year.
