I am not an authority on living a life of gratitude . In fact, I pitched this article because my tendency is to always search for the next source of a fulfillment. I live a full life when I think about it. (You certainly do as well if you gave it a few moments of thought.) The more I considered thanksgiving, the more I realized that gratitude stems from a worldview.
Consider the times you’ve felt unhappy, ungrateful, discontent. I did, and I realized that those times centered around an extreme future orientation. Simply put, the present didn’t align with my visions for the future and I responded by complaining about poor condition. I’m a self-professed planner . As helpful as that can be, the mentality of always looking forward is a breeding ground for discontentment. It can be debilitating if not addressed.
This Thanksgiving and holiday season, tell yourself, “I am here.” Say it when you wake up. Remind yourself when you are tired of writing papers and wish you were in the working world. I am here. Whisper it when you are getting coffee for the office but dream of the day when you are the one in charge. I am here. Write it down when you are working on your budget and realize that you don’t have the income you wished you had. I am here. Ponder it when you shut down your computer after cyber-stalking with the feeling of being less than. I am here.
Try it. Give yourself one month to enjoy living your life exactly how it is. I’ll being trying it right alongside you. My hope is that this will be the beginning of a changed worldview, the first step to living a life of gratitude. I see myself being more joyful, more grateful, less hurried, and altogether living a more enjoyable life. But that future orientation is what got me here in the first place, so I stopped myself and said, “I am here.”
Header photo by Gabrielle Henderson via unsplash.