“In everything give thanks, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” – 1 Thess. 5:18
God tells us approximately 169 times in the Bible to give thanks, so it should be no surprise that there are incredible benefits to cultivating an attitude of gratitude.
Gratitude helps us expand the lens with which we see the world.
Gratitude helps us broaden our perspective, see more possibilities, and problem solve with more creativity.
Gratitude opens the way for us to see the opportunities in each experience and situation.
Gratitude improves our physical and psychological health.
Gratitude helps us be happier, more well-adjusted people, with greater self-esteem, empathy, and social capital, better relationships, and an overall improved experience of life.
Check out this article on 7 Scientifically Proven Benefits Of Gratitude That Will Motivate You To Give Thanks Year Round.
It’s important to note that gratitude is not about diminishing how difficult things may be or pretending you’re not grieving, anxious, or that everything’s “fine.”
Gratitude is definitely not about being fake or inauthentic.
But it is important that we cultivate the habit of gratitude, so a thankful attitude can be present alongside our real life, negative experiences and acknowledged emotions, so we can reap the benefits and, bottom line, experience a much more enjoyable life.
We all need to learn the skill of gratitude – to train our brains to scan for things we can be grateful for in each situation of our lives.
It’s easy to take things for granted or focus primarily on the negative aspects, so we need to actively cultivate an attitude of gratitude.
To help you cultivate a habit of gratitude, I put together a free resource for you.
So often we get stuck in a rut when it comes to expressing gratitude, so my hope is this resource will help assist you in broadening your perspective about things for which to give thanks.
Click here to access the free downloadable PDF.
And to kick things off, I want to share my 2022 list of 10 things that I’m giving thanks for this year:
- As always, and not taken for granted, God’s unconditional love and grace – new every morning.
- My husband David who’s my partner in life, a true servant leader committed to the Lord and our family, and a steady home base in the craziness of life.
- Our three precious grandbabies – a darling boy who is 6.5 months old and precious girl-boy twins who are 11 weeks old. Everyone says being a grandmother is wonderful, and I’m hear to say that they are definitely not exaggerating!
- The bittersweet joy of being with my daddy the last week of his life this September, and the confidence that he is now with the Lord and reunited with my precious mom, and I will see them both again.
- Getting to spend lots of quality time with my dearest girlfriend due to events that repeatedly drew me to her hometown – I am truly so thankful for our time together and her friendship through the years.
- The incredible privilege of working with my clients – helping them understand their natural talents, create careers and lives they love, and navigate through the changes that come with the empty nest. I absolutely LOVE what I do, and I am thankful every single day for the privilege.
- A wonderful girls’ weekend with some of my girlfriends from our young married years. They are treasured friends and getting to be with them is the best.
- Lots of quality time with all our adult children throughout the year, and the delight of having four of the five in the same town with us. It is so fun to see them rock their individual worlds and being with them as adults!
- The joy of being out in Carmel-by-the-Sea many times this year – it is my happy place, and my heart sings when I’m there.
- Fun trips with family and friends – I’m a quality time girl and love that time with my people. I’m always up to see a new place, and God opened doors for those opportunities this past year – so thankful!
Wishing you and yours a wonderful Thanksgiving, but even more so, hearts full of thanksgiving every day.
To your success-
Blessings,
