Happy Thanksgiving readers! No, we could hardly be further away from the actual holiday itself but I wanted to use this opportunity to encourage you to be more thankful in your everyday life. Every time the holiday rolls around it’s a great opportunity to experience and contemplate the things we are deeply thankful for. But simultaneously, there’s always a similar experience that says, why don’t we do this more often?
I want to encourage a practice of being thankful for smaller things, more often. The more frequently you can be thankful for small things, the more perspective you’ll have on the big things in your life, and the blessings they present on a daily basis. Here are 4 small things you can be thankful for today:
Other People
We don’t often consider strangers and their lives until they do something to us or for us. Someone whom we have no opinion of at all suddenly becomes a saint when they chase us down to return something that fell from our coat, or turns into an evil, selfish person for cutting us off in traffic.
Consider others more often. Understand that people aren’t simply good or evil based on the interactions you happen to have with them. Their lives are as multifaceted and complicated as yours. They struggle as you do. Keep this in mind and be thankful for the small interactions you do have.
Nature
When was the last time you spent more than an hour outdoors at a time? Most of us spend the vast majority of our time between our house, car, and job, squeezing in a little time for the grocery store or gym every now and then. Even if you can’t afford a week camping, a little exposure to the natural world can change your perspective.
I recently watched a television program about birds and how they build their nests and felt so much more amazed at myself as a human. Putting ourselves in closer touch with our natural surroundings can make us aware of nuances of our bodies and minds that we lose touch with during our normal day-to-day routines.
Food and Drink
Eating and drinking are parts of our day to day routines that often become automatic. We drink coffee in the morning to get us going, eat a banana for a little energy, shovel in the evening meal while the family does the same.
Take a little more time to think about and appreciate the foods you are enjoying. Think about what’s in the food you’re eating. Chew slowly and deliberately so that you can really experience all of the flavors and textures of the food as well as ensure that you are able to absorb all available nutrients.
Circumstance
One of the elements of our lives that we tend to think about least are all the circumstances we can’t control but have gone in our favor. I’ve seen so many people achieve amazing things with a significantly less advantageous set of circumstances to mine, and these experiences always serve as a great reminder to be thankful and take advantage of everything you have at your disposal.
Recognize the gifts that you have been given for free. Don’t take your advantageous circumstances for granted. Take advantage of them by being more thankful today.
What small things are you thankful for? Stay up to date with Doubledare and connect on LinkedIn or on Twitter @DoubledareCoach.
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photo credit: Bryce Canyon National Park – Utah via photopin (license)
