Having Gratitude Can Transform Your Life and Business
Thanksgiving
For those of us living in the U.S., today is Thanksgiving, a day designated for gratitude. It’s my first Thanksgiving as a podcaster and having this platform to share my thoughts and feelings.
Because it is a day set aside for thanksgiving, I felt it was a good time to talk about gratitude.
“Gratitude turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity…it makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.” That is a quote from Melody Beattie and it’s one I love to read as a reminder to myself to be grateful.
If 2020 has been anything, it has been a year of turmoil, animosity, chaos, and confusion. And yet, there have been so many blessings, both large and small.
It can be extremely hard to see through loss and realize that there is something to be grateful for. But there truly is always a reason to have a heart of gratitude for.
Things we might take for granted:
Health
Family
Someone to love
A bed to lay your head at night
Chairs and a Table to gather around
The freedom to go to church
Shade from a tree on a hot day
The beautiful color of a flower
Technology that enables us to work virtually
Healthcare
Feelings of joy, love, and safety.
The list goes on and on.
Gratitude = Happy
More on how to discover gratitude.
Germany Kent said, “it’s a funny thing about life, once you begin to take note of the things you are grateful for, you begin to lose sight of the things that you lack.”
In 1st Thessalonians chapter 5, verses 16-18, Paul tells us to be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
That sounds a lot easier than it is. But one thing I’ve learned is that something good always comes from something bad. Of course, I don’t see it right away, but eventually, it becomes obvious, and I know that I can look back and say, “that’s why that happened”. Sometimes it’s that I am able to help someone else through my experience. Other times, it’s that I was saved from some major stress, heartache, or bad circumstance because the thing I wanted didn’t happen.
Douglas Wood said, “The heart that gives thanks is a happy one, for we cannot feel thankful and unhappy at the same time.” This is so very true! Think about it. When you’ve been feeling down, sad, or lost someone or something, if you stopped and felt grateful, the negative emotions were softened, decreased, or muted. There’s always a positive amidst the negative.
Gratitude Even in 2020
In a year like 2020, it’s really hard not to succumb to negative emotions, anxiety, stress, depression, and feelings of overwhelm. I know I have felt them, sometimes to great depth. But Paul reminds us in Philippians 4:6 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
If there is one verse that I love it is this one. Knowing that there is nothing I can’t ask God to help me with or provide for me is a great comfort. It may not take away all of my anxiety, but it does give me the peace I wouldn’t otherwise have. Knowing He’s got my back, even though His answer may not be the answer I want and the answer may not come at the time I want it to, I know that the answer will arrive at the right time and in the way that is best for me.
If I can’t think of anything else to be grateful for, at least I can always fall back on the fact I have Him watching over me and my family!
Words to help you stay thankful
When Paul was writing to the Philippians, he said to them, “I thank my God every time I remember you.” Philippians 1:3
I want you to know that I am grateful for all of you who have been on this podcast journey with me this year. The podcast is a major source of gratitude for me. I have met amazing people and am so grateful I have been given this platform to share them with you and that you have so generously spent your time with me and left ratings and reviews.
A quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson reads, “I awoke this morning with devout thanksgiving for my friends, the old and the new.” I feel this way every day! I am so grateful for you, my friends, and the fact you are here with me! Not just today, on Thanksgiving, but every day!
Charlotte Bronte read my mind when she said: “For my part, I am almost contented just now, and very thankful. Gratitude is a divine emotion: it fills the heart, but not to bursting; it warms it, but not to fever.”
What is Gratitude?
Gratitude is the attribute of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness. As Melody Beattie said in the quote above, “Gratitude turns what we have into enough, and more. It makes us realize what we have, not just tangible things, but emotions too. Simply being able to feel is something to be grateful for.
I want to share this quote from Tecumseh:
“When you arise in the morning give thanks for the food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies only in yourself.”
There is always something to be grateful for, large or small. And there are always circumstances that you can move through or survive by being grateful. In Episode 35 I talked about gratitude when in the midst of comparison and in Episode 66 I talked about being grateful for your unique gifts when imposter syndrome kicks in. If you are struggling with either one, I encourage you to go back and listen to those two episodes. I think they’ll inspire you and definitely help boost your self-confidence going into the last six weeks of the year and into 2021.
If you are feeling down, burdened by comparison or imposter syndrome, mourning the loss of a loved one, or suffering from anxiety or depression, or other illnesses, I encourage you to start writing down at least one thing every day that you are grateful for. The list will grow each time you sit down to write, and you will begin to realize, your blessings far outweigh the burdens, stress, or overwhelm.
I’m so thankful for you! If you feel alone, know that I am thinking of you and am grateful for you.
Happy Thanksgiving!
To learn more about your host, Robyn Graham, click HERE.
