Finding Gratitude in Every Day

With Thanksgiving and Hanukkah behind us and Christmas fully here, it’s easy to feel full of gratitude. But it shouldn’t be about buying gifts to say “thank you” for a year of friendship and love. It’s not about gifts and the gratitude you feel and show shouldn’t be fleeting.

I’m in a place of extreme gratitude in recent months. It’s been an interesting year–with injuries and bringing Ivy into our home. I could spend time complaining and being stressed, but at this stage in my life, I’m finding instead that gratitude makes everything better.

I’ve always done personal development, but not being able to work out for a period of time made me double down and really feel into gratitude for things. Like recovery. The fact that we have medical doctors and alternative options to help us find out what ail us and identify ways to continue to be active through recovery is amazing to me.

When I lose a tennis match, instead of being upset that I lost (as I would have before), I’m grateful that I was able to play on the team.

If I’m upset about having to stand in line at the grocery store, I shift that into gratitude that I live somewhere where food is readily available.

The next time you feel negativity seeping into your head, stop and think about all your accomplishments. The things you’ve done in your life are a good place to start when it comes to finding gratitude.

Maybe you landed a big deal this year. You chose a healthy option at lunch. You were able to stay home with your sick child. You have family that lives close by. Your family was able to visit during Thanksgiving. The weather is amazing. You had a great workout. Your partner left you a cute note.

No matter how big or small, stop and smell the roses. Find something to be grateful for today.

Sometimes when you’re stressed or when you feel like things aren’t going exactly as you wanted, it’s hard to find reasons to be grateful. Grab my gratitude list and use this as a guide to help you in your journey.