Thankful, Grateful, and Appreciate

Create Higher Levels of Alertness, Enthusiasm, Determinism, Optimism, and Energy with One Small Act of Kindness

It’s only fitting that in this week of Thanksgiving, we talk about giving thanks and having gratitude. While some may view this week as chaotic, stressful, and anxious-ridden with extended family, my hope for you is that you give thanks for the abundance, prosperity, peace, and joy in your life.

Giving thanks really means being thankful for the gifts you have in your life. If you don’t already view the things in your life as a gift, try shifting your focus from what you DON’T have to focus on what you DO have. You can even do this in the midst of chaos and when your life is feeling particularly stressful. Even mounting bills are things to be thankful for. The vendors behind those bills have provided a lifestyle for you that you wouldn’t have otherwise have had. Your bills are a gift. That’s an example of a true shift in focus.

As soon as you start feeling grateful and happy about the things you have, you will start to attract and have more blessings in your life. Everybody goes through things they don’t like and times that are hard, but it’s those who remain grateful and thankful for what they DO have, who have true joy, peace, and abundance in their lives. Start to see EVERYTHING as the gift that it is.

There is a distinction to be made between happiness and gratitude. They are not the same, although we sometimes use them interchangeably. To be grateful means giving thanks for something that’s been given as a gift. It can be a person in our life that was giving, or nature, or God. It was such a surprise to me this time last year as I pulled up to the window of Starbucks for my traditional “Non-fat, Peppermint, No-whip Caffe Mocha” (I recommend the drink wholeheartedly!), the car in front of me had paid for my drink! I tried to get a glimpse of them, but I didn’t catch them in time and they sped away. The person working in the window said, “They told me to tell you Happy Holidays!” It was such a treat. I felt grateful for the gift of not only the drink, but the thoughtfulness.

Contrary to feeling grateful, happiness would be something one just feels good about. You can be happy that it’s sunny outside, or grateful that the sunshine has been provided (the gift of sunshine!). You can be happy to have an extra $100 in the bank, but grateful that the extra money has been given as a gift. You get the point.

Having gratitude means being content. Being thankful and grateful leads to more contentment. Conversely, continually wanting more and more external things leads to the feeling of emptiness and unhappiness. It is human to want more, but that does not keep you from growing and evolving; it’s easy to get trapped by the feeling of not having enough in your life. To be content, get out of the rut of wanting more, more, more, and just experience that right now, in this moment, you are satisfied and content.

Research shows that “daily gratitude exercises resulted in higher reported levels of alertness, enthusiasm, determinism, optimism, and energy.” According to Michael McCullough of Southern Methodist University, “Anyone can increase their sense of well-being and create positive social effects just by counting their blessings.”

So for this week, give thanks, have gratitude, and experience the overwhelming abundance, peace, and joy pouring into your life.

© 2007 I Choose Change

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Diana Guintu, M.Ed. National Certified Counselor Licensed Professional Counselor Life Coach. Diana Guintu is a psychotherapist, personal coach, and speaker, who resides in North Texas. Jennifer Ryan, M.Ed. National Certified Counselor Licensed Professional Counselor Life Coach is a psychotherapist, personal coach, and speaker, who resides in North Texas. For more: www.ichoosechange.com/

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