I could not resist focusing on gratitude as we celebrate Thanksgiving Day later this week. The older I get, the more I realize how much I have to be grateful for. Most of my mentors and loved ones from the generation before mine have passed on, and I regularly give thanks for all they did for me. Hopefully, you’re like me and have a long list of people to be grateful for.
But what about those times when for whatever reason we’re just not feeling thankful? Do we just tough it out, waiting for the cloud of discontent to melt away? I’ve found that there are things I can do that quickly make me realize how good things really are:
- Although he’s passed now, remembering Christopher Reeve post-accident always helps me appreciate my body and stay motivated to exercise at my highest level. While he was still alive, if I was trudging through my Jazzercise class, I would ask myself, “What would Christopher Reeve give to be standing beside me here?”
- I volunteer regularly at Perryville Prison, and I’ve taught incarcerated students for Rio Salado College for years. When is the last time you appreciated taking a long, hot, private shower or having access to virtually any fresh fruit or vegetable you want any time you want?
- No matter how much I pray, I simply always have someone on my “cancer prayer list.” No sooner does one person get the clear test result than one (or two) more get the new diagnosis. If you are cancer-free, there’s a huge item for your gratitude list!
- Go to your refrigerator, your closet, or your garage. If you find food, clothes, and a vehicle, stop and give thanks! Not at home? What device are you carrying with you at the moment?
Really, what’s hard about gratitude, if there is anything difficult about it, is not finding things to be grateful for, but rather remembering to be grateful. Let’s make every day Thanksgiving Day.