Practicing Thankfulness…Even in Difficult Times

As we continue to experience difficult times, it may feel like a tough time to be thankful. Yet practicing thankfulness is one of the most powerful ways to bring about a change in our circumstances. During difficult times, we may find ourselves struggling with thoughts of fear, self-doubt, worry, anger and depression. Besides negatively impacting our health and vitality, these thoughts don’t move us in a direction that serves our purpose -- in fact, they make matters worse.

One of the quickest and most powerful ways to create a change in our circumstances is to practice thinking thoughts of thankfulness. Thankfulness is one of the highest levels of consciousness, giving us the ability to see the myriad of possibilities, discover what we truly want, receive ideas on what to do next, and create and realize a vision for the future.

When you practice thankfulness, a physical and mental transformation occurs. Your brain begins perceiving even more to be thankful for. You find yourself focusing on your strengths. You’re smiling. Your spine straightens. The muscles in your face and neck relax and your breaths deepen. Your creative juices begin to flow and you get creative ideas on how to turn your situation around and move in a direction that inspires you.

Thankfulness takes practice, and just one of these practices brings dramatic improvement in our lives, our families, and our organizations.

1. List everything you are thankful for -- in your life, career, family, relationships, your body and its functionality, your strengths and skills, your values and personality, your home. If you are a business, list everything you are thankful for with your customers, suppliers, investors, employees, the industry, and specific customers, suppliers, investors and employees. Be sure to find something to be thankful for with respect to what you may be most unhappy about. If we hold contempt for anything we wish to change, we actually block our ability to change it.

2. At the end of each day, work backward and think of everything you are thankful for from that day. Our spirits are lifted when we are appreciative of even the smallest things.

3. Take note of what you are thankful for throughout the day—before or after a conversation, a telephone call, a meeting or a new task, and be thankful for each experience.

4. When you catch yourself thinking a worry, self-doubt, anger or other self-defeating thought, take a deep breath, first exhaling deeply, and ask yourself “What can I be thankful for in this moment?”

5. See what happens!

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