November — Thanksgiving, Turkey, cooler weather, changing leaves (ok, maybe not in Phoenix!).
Ok, maybe the leaves aren’t as vibrant here in Phoenix but that doesn’t change the fact that November is often the season to say Thank you. Who else has a tradition of everyone saying what they are grateful for around the family Thanksgiving dinner table? It’s a beautiful tradition and one I incorporate into my daily life. I try to be grateful for the beautiful things in my life daily and not just once a year. The reason I say try is because gratitude isn’t always a seamless or easy practice. Sometimes I have to stretch my imagination to find something. When I do that, no matter how simple my gratitude my world still becomes a bit sunnier.
People often talk about being grateful and keeping a gratitude journal. Some people don’t see the point of it. Some people swear by the practice of writing down your gratitudes daily. I am one of the latter. I encourage everyone to try it. Try it for November and see what happens. What do you have to lose?!
My advice is to remember to be grateful for the little things. Because they aren’t little – they have the power to change the tone of your entire day. Ever want to get out of a grumpy funk? Write down at least 3 things you are grateful for. And by write I mean keep a journal, text them to a friend, write them in your phone. Where you write them doesn’t matter – just write them down.
Here are mine from this morning:
- Someone holding the door for me as I struggle with my 4 heavy bags
- My neighbor smiling and saying “Good Morning”
- The way my puppy is happy to see me every day
- The way my friend and I smile about a private joke
- My amazing clients, friends, associates, colleagues, and family
If you don’t already practice daily gratitudes I highly recommend you use November to start. What a perfect season to begin this new habit. It’s easy to begin. Just think of 3 – 5 things you are grateful for each day. Is your heat working? Is your bed comfy? Is your water hot? They don’t have to be complex items – it isn’t about the items you are grateful for, it is about that feeling of gratitude. And savoring that feeling.
In this spirit, let me say THANK YOU to my clients, my friends, my associates, my colleagues, and my family. You are all the best and I appreciate each and every one of you.
Thank you and Happy Season of Gratitude!