I have 1000 reasons to be grateful, and I’m not over exaggerating. At the beginning of this year, I decided to start each day with a new habit: writing down three things I’m grateful for. With all simple habits, it’s easy to do. (But it’s also easy not to do.) By the time my birthday hits on December 31st, I’ll have written down 1,095 reasons to be grateful on 2 ½ legal pads. Here’s what I’ve discovered so far this year about gratitude.
1000 Reasons to be Grateful
Gratitude Keeps You Healthy
According to Psychology Today, there are scientifically proven benefits to expressing gratitude. Grateful people are physically and emotionally healthier than people who aren’t thankful. Gratitude enhances empathy and reduces aggression. It improves existing relationships and forges new ones. Grateful people have better sleep quality and higher self-esteem. Gratitude reduces stress and enhances mental resistance. Sounds like we could all use a daily dose of gratitude, along with our multi-vitamin!
Gratitude Keeps You Present
A few months into my gratitude practice, I noticed something interesting. As I went about my day, I proactively paid attention, looking for reasons to be grateful. I wanted to make sure I had something amazing to write down for my daily three the next morning! I started to savor everything more often: my delicious food, my time with family, the beauty of nature. In the past, my brain would have been mulling over my lengthy To-Do list, or daydreaming. My gratitude practice has made me more mindful and present.
Gratitude Keeps You Blissfully Content
Being grateful daily reminds me of all the amazing things I already have right now. A safe place to live, running water, plenty of food in the fridge and pantry, more than enough money to pay the bills, friends and family who love me. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with wanting things or creating goals for the future! You can do both. My coach, Melanie Ann Layer, says the magic happens when you have “one foot firmly planted in gratitude for what is, and one foot stepping with desire into the future.”
Gratitude Keeps Things in Perspective
As look though my list of 1000 reasons to be grateful, I see certain patterns and recurring themes. The thing I am most grateful for in my life is relationships. I’m grateful, first and foremost, for my relationship with God, then my husband, my immediate family, my extended family, my friends, my clients, my virtual assistant, my online community of connections, my pastor, my hair stylist, my cleaning lady, my massage therapist, and of course, my cat, Little Tiny. Life is nothing without other people to share the experience with. Being grateful for these people (especially when they’re annoying and imperfect) keeps things in perspective.
Gratitude Keeps You Celebrating
We don’t celebrate enough! It’s so easy to gloss over major accomplishments when your To-Do List is still a mile long. I’ve been guilty of this in the past, but no more! I accomplished a great deal this year and I’m grateful for my efforts and persistence. My husband and I paid off our mortgage in March. I earned my Certified Divorce Specialist designation and had my first $20,000 sales month in my coaching business in April! I bought my first ever luxury car with cash in September. Expressing gratitude for my accomplishments reminds me to celebrate myself.
During this year of gratitude, my husband and I have experienced a huge level of financial abundance. I don’t know if it’s a coincidence or not. But I’m going to continue my humble habit of expressing gratitude for at least three things each and every day! The benefits are too amazing not to.
No, this year has NOT been perfect. My family has been through some very trying times with my Dad’s heart valve surgery, the loss of my stepmom to lung cancer, and my brief brush with melanoma. Yet, I have gratitude even in the midst of those things. Why? Because I have a full life – not a perfect one – and that’s something to be grateful for.