The second choice will melt your anger like a ten-penny candle. And it’ll get you back to focusing on action rather than self-indulgent lamentation. Gratitude just makes sense. So how do you do it? How do you actually go about identifying all those areas to be thankful for in your life? I like to use this great little exercise. I found it many years ago in a rather hokey self-help book. Now that’s not normally my kind of reading at all. But the exercise made me sit up straight, fold down the page and come back later on to make a few notes. ***********************SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT*********************** Special Announcement: The First-Ever ETR Black Friday Sale While you recover from Thanksgiving or take a break from shopping (or just are enjoying a normal Friday), make sure to watch your email for a very special announcement from ETR Headquarters. You’re going to hear about an amazing DEAL on our best ever ETR resource for making more money and living the life of your dreams. Stay tuned for the big reveal on Black Friday at 11 a.m. EST. ********************************************************************************** Here’s how the gratitude exercise goes… Grab a piece of paper, and write these words across the top: “I’m thankful for…” And then divide your page into 3 columns. Label the first column “Things.” Take a few minutes to write down all the material things you’re glad you have. For example, I’m thankful for my espresso machine. For my collection of books. For having a reliable computer and a nice big Apple monitor. You get the idea. In the second column, labeled “People,” list all the people in your life, past or present, who you appreciate. I’m thankful for my wife, who has supported my dreams and goals for the past 15 years. I’m thankful for my old hometown friends, who have been as close as family since our high school days and beyond. I’m thankful for having a great partner in my online business, and an amazing team of dedicated employees. And the list goes on. Finally, label your third column “Other,” and list anything that doesn’t fit into the other two. Most people find this last category confusing at first. But I thought it was the easiest one of all. I’m thankful for my freedom. For having the ability to exercise. For good health. I’m tremendously thankful for my love of reading, because it’s opened so many doors. I’m grateful that I had an opportunity to experience life on a small Mediterranean island, in a 400-year-old stone palazzo. I’m thankful for music that inspires my writing. And I’m incredibly grateful that I have the ability to travel and experience so many exciting new things, and then to share those things with my readers. I’m also grateful that my book Vagabond Dreams is published, because the experience I wrote about was so meaningful, and I know it has the power to transform lives. You get the idea. It’s a really great exercise because it reminds you of just how much you have to be grateful for. It also opened my eyes to how much I complain in the day to day — when most of us really have so little to complain about. Sure, I tend to focus on what’s not perfect in my life. I’m driven, so I’m always tweaking things, trying to improve the road ahead rather than just sitting and looking at my past small accomplishments. But still… Taking a few moments to remind yourself of just how many great things you have in your life changes the way you feel about everything. It brightens up your day. It gives you more energy. You walk taller, and you learn to let those small annoyances slide. No matter how bad things are, you’ll always find something to be thankful for. And I can say this even about my most frustrating poverty years, when I felt so trapped and when I thought I’d never be able to live my dreams. Looking back at those times, I’m thankful I had access to an excellent public library. And that I had music to inspire my writing. I encourage you to find a piece of paper and a pencil and give this little exercise a try today. It doesn’t matter if you live in the United States and you’re celebrating the Thanksgiving holiday surrounded by family and friends, or if you’re an expat Canadian like me who’s just going along for the ride. It’s worth a few minutes of your time. I promise. (Editor's note: This is an excerpt of an article previously published on EarlyToRise.com.) |