With Remembrance Day around the corner it has gotten me thinking about all that we should be grateful for. The sacrifices of so many who fought for the ideals and beliefs that we enjoy today. To live in a country where people are not limited by their gender, race or religion is not a freedom to be taken for granted. Remembrance Day is certainly an important day to acknowledge all the soldiers who gave their lives for our freedom. A day to be grateful for the peace and freedoms that our nation enjoys today.
What about if we spent a little time everyday being grateful? What about if we took a moment each day to feel thankful for parts of our day that we perhaps do not always think about, from a friend taking you out for coffee to the food on your table, to your dog whom you love or your right to vote. You have probably heard about gratitude journals, the act of writing down things that you are thankful for each day. The research seems to show that people who feel thankful sleep better, feel better and are more content. Maybe writing things down is not for you, but what about if before bed, or on that commute home from work or in line for your Starbucks, you tried to come up with three things that you are grateful for?
At first glance, perhaps you do not think you have anything specific to be thankful for, but a conscious look at your life may help you count your blessings amid a busy life that often seems fraught with challenges and a lack of time to do anything well. Maybe it isn’t something showy like a new car or a trip, but often the things we take for granted like our health and our home and our family are truly our greatest blessings.
What’s more, I found that the more you think about what you are grateful for, the less time you spend thinking about all that you wish you had. Feeling content can make you look less to material things to fill a void. It takes practice to recognize and acknowledge what you are grateful for. Gratitude does not eliminate bad things in our life, but it can hep you focus on the positive in a tough situation.
Maybe tomorrow when you see that line up at Starbucks instead of feeling frustrated about how late that will make you, think about a couple of things in your life that bring you joy. And maybe, just maybe, that latte will taste even better.
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