The Power of Practicing Gratitude
When I open my calendar, I can’t help but feel that the clock is ticking closer to the end of 2023, and then I see all the events, obligations, and yet-to-be completed tasks awaiting me, the butterflies in my stomach come to life. It is in that moment that I pause, take a deep breath, and remind myself how many of these things dotting my calendar are opportunities to be grateful. Work meetings are the ingredients of a job I truly love. Planning events for our teams and for my family reflect the huge number of beloved people in my life and the fact that I get to bring them a bit of joy. Even a dreaded dentist appointment offers me a chance to see the beaming receptionist I’ve befriended over the years.
That is the power of practicing gratitude. We are four years into our annual gratitude challenge, and the act of embracing gratitude is, for me, truly beginning to feel like second nature.
The research and data support the idea that practicing gratitude makes for a healthier, happier life. A whole host of studies have found that consciously considering the things we are grateful for reduces rates of depression and stress, helps us bounce back after a difficult day, and even improves our sleep.
Every year, as I compose this message, I find myself thinking that centering gratitude is more important than ever. Life finds ways to become increasingly complicated, year over year. The good news is that our capacity for integrating—even embracing—those complexities expands as we age and grow.
When I sat down to consider prompts for our 2023 Gratitude Challenge journal, I already had a few favorites in mind. Here are a few I’m really looking forward to:
Day 7: Memories. Sometimes memories help us recall humble beginnings, making us thankful for where we are now. Other times we look back and are grateful to celebrate past events that would be unachievable today. All memories engage feelings on a spectrum from melancholy to euphoric, each filling us with a spirit of thankfulness. What memories do you look back on with gratitude?
Day 10: Progress. Even if it’s not always easy to see, you’ve made progress this year. We all have. What areas of your life have you made the most progress in, compared to, let’s say, five years ago? What progress are you most thankful to have made? Or what progress do you hope to make in the upcoming year?
Day 16: Mentorship. Great mentors significantly shape both the professional and personal life of their mentees by pointing them in the right direction and expressing exemplary virtues. We should acknowledge the mentors we encounter in our everyday lives and thank them for their dedication to shape us into better individuals. Who are some mentors you are especially thankful for in your life, and what have they taught you?
Day 21: Love. There are so many kinds of love (romantic, platonic, etc.) and each type is deserving of your gratitude. How do you share love in your life? How do you accept it? Celebrate the love you experience for (and from!) others today.
Since my life feels inextricably bound to my calendar this time of year, I am entering “practice gratitude” as an actual daily to-do for the month ahead. And if I suddenly realize I have missed a day, or even a couple of days, I am not going to beat myself up about it. Instead, I will open up my gratitude challenge journal, take two minutes to reflect on the day’s prompt, and be grateful that I have the capacity to try, try again.