Now that Thanksgiving has come and gone, it can be extremely easy to suddenly be swept away into the chaos of the holiday season. Thanksgiving is meant to be a time of reflection and gratitude for the things we have in life.

The official definition of gratitude is “the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.” So why is it that we only set aside one day a year to be grateful? What would it look like if we were able to look around ourselves and be thankful for the everyday ordinary things that make up our lives? The answer is actually quite simple, we would be happier overall. Psychological studies done through Harvard have found a link between consistent gratitude and overall happiness in everyday life. This is likely because when we are intentional about focusing on the good, our perspective forms around the things that make us happy, rather than the things that are out of our control that bring us down. 

Did you know that people who are terribly afraid of spiders are more likely to see them in their day to day lives? That’s because when you focus on your fear, or the things you don’t want, you’re more likely to find them. The same can be said for the good things in life too. If you enter into situations with the mindset of gratitude, you’re more likely to find things to be grateful for. Where your focus lies, your outlook on the world around you does too. 

But what if you can’t find something good in your current situation? 

Life is consistently inconsistent when it comes to circumstance, meaning that sooner or later you’re bound to hit rough patches in your life where gratitude may be objectively hard to come by. When those times come, focus on the small things you have around you that are worthy of gratitude. Do you have a soft bed to climb into at the end of a hard day? Is there a song that brings you peace that you’re thankful someone somewhere wrote? Is there a particularly beautiful tree you pass by everyday that tells you you’re somewhere that’s familiar? Whatever it is, I guarantee that if you set your mind to it, you can find an endless supply of small things to be grateful for. Get creative with your gratitude and look for it in the small things until the big things become beautiful too. 

If you can be grateful for the small things, imagine how amazing the good things that are coming will feel.

As life starts to speed up during this time of year, be intentional about being grateful and watch as life becomes a brighter by the day.

Lead Well,