I know it’s a little on the nose to be writing to you about gratitude over the Thanksgiving weekend.
After all, you probably have inspirational quotes, advice, and insights about thankfulness coming out of your ears at this point. But I want to take a moment to add my two cents (or maybe three).
Gratitude Is Part of Growth
More often than not, when I hear about gratitude, it’s about how it can open doors and how it increases happiness, both sentiments I agree with.
But I’ve discovered this year, which has been a very difficult year for a lot of reasons, that gratitude is essential to growth. It’s part of processing grief and integrating it into who you are so it doesn’t hurt in the same way and so it can help shape you into being a more complete version of yourself.
We will all have experiences that wreck us, at least for a time. That’s part of living and loving and trying. When you do all those things, the tacit agreement is that you’re willing to be hurt in order to live more fully.
But on the other side of being hurt (which, again, is inevitable), gratitude is necessary to take that hurt and turn it into something good. In the absence of gratitude, grief can make you smaller, but when gratitude meets grief, growth happens.
Gratitude Can Counter Overwhelm
The subject of overwhelm has come up many times in the last month. I’ve been overwhelmed this last month, so it’s possible I’ve been more attuned to how those feelings are affecting others.
I have noticed that when I start my day with too much on my list, wondering how I will ever get it all done, I have two different ways I can go.
I can carry that feeling of overwhelm forward, fighting for every step… and usually not doing my best work.
Or I can breathe and really think on the work I’m about to do and why it matters. I can be grateful for the work. When I’m able to make that switch, my list doesn’t get any smaller, but I’m able to focus better and enjoy what I’m doing more. And that makes for better work… so everyone wins.
Gratitude Is an Act of Acceptance
At its heart, gratitude is an act of acceptance.
It is recognizing who you are and what you have and being happy for it.
That doesn’t mean you don’t strive for more. It doesn’t mean you don’t have ambitions. It doesn’t mean you can’t become a better person, someone who grows and changes.
But it does mean you look at what you have, the people in your life, and who you are with all your flaws, and see it as enough. Accepting yourself, your circumstances, and the people you want in your life with all their flaws — and I mean genuinely accepting it all and feeling grateful for it — often clears the path to bring about the changes you want to make in yourself, to deepen your connection with others, and to shape the circumstances of your life in new ways.
If you took this holiday and spent time being thankful, that’s excellent. But my challenge to you is to take a moment and be grateful for the hard things, too. Be grateful for every single thing in your life — just as it is. When you do that, you’ll find it easier to start letting go of the things that no longer serve you, to take those difficult steps toward fulfilling your potential, and to make the changes you want to see in yourself, in your circumstances, and in the world.
Happy Thanksgiving… a day late, but it still counts!
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In Jennifer Ayling’s second post, she explores why we avoid difficult things even when we can see they’re important. She also shares three things she’s done to help herself stay on track and not avoid those difficult, important tasks. Give it a read right here.
EG Orren talks through the different time management strategies she’s tried, including the ups and downs of each one. She emphasizes the importance of finding what works from each system and using it to build something that works for you and is truly your own. See her thoughts here.
Maia Richardson has made big gains in time management with a simple mindset shift as well as some deliberate planning and habit-building. You can check out how her system helps quiet all the stray thoughts that tend to pull a person off task.
Tory Tredway has identified three keys to his time management — and overall — success. He shares his keys, how he’s applying them, and many of the tools that have helped him along the way. Don’t miss his time management tips.
Coming Up
November 29: On Tuesday, Nick Usborne is joining us for a live interview. We’ll be talking about all the many, many opportunities there are for writers these days… as well as how to attune yourself to recognize those opportunities that are easy to overlook or that are a particularly good fit for you. Be sure to join us!
3 Things You Might Enjoy
This article explores how experiencing gratitude actually changes your brain.
Need a little inspiration to help your clients with their seasonal email campaigns? You’ll find some fresh ideas from VistaCreate.
Looking for some quick tips to improve your writing and your writing process? Copyblogger never disappoints.
That’s all for now. Enjoy your weekend!
