(During this week of gratitude, I went to the bullpen and called for The Closer. She’s the Aroldis Chapman of thankfulness, my sister Lynn Miles Peisker. She’s one of my mentors, my heroes, and one of my very best friends. She’s contributing to a book we’re releasing in 2017, and she currently works in the marketing department at The University of Notre Dame (where, by the way, their conference rooms are named “Dublin” and “Belfast” – which is awesome). Oh, and Lynn can also write her face off, and she does so for our benefit today.)
A lot of weird stuff happened this year. Some of it was good. After all, The Cubs won the World Series.
But a lot of it was really hard. We have just come through the most acrimonious presidential election in memory that left at least half the country heartbroken.
You may be struggling with the whole thankfulness thing. You are not alone.
Seven percent of Americans say they lost friendships during the course of the election.
Ten to twenty percent of suffer from seasonal affective disorder or winter blues.
And Cleveland fans took it on the chin at home in Game 7.
Let’s face it, the cliche is true: thankfulness is a choice.
I love this quote from Pastor Chuck Swindoll: “Words can never adequately convey the incredible impact of our attitudes toward life. The longer I live the more convinced I become that life is 10 percent what happens to us and 90 percent how we respond to it.”
How will you respond?
Here are some ways to cultivate that “attitude of gratitude” in spite of the heaviness of the world we live in:
- Make a list of all the good things that in your life down to the smallest blessing. We have done this for years, and it’s now a great joy to see my now grown children’s chubby childhood handwriting on decades-old leaves extolling the virtues of Power Rangers and cupcakes and neighbors.
- My wise friend Gary says that when you are feeling bad about your circumstances, do something kind for someone. He says acts of service for others, whether big or small, have the power to start to change your heart. I have tested this theory many times in the past year, and it’s true. Gary is a wise man.
- This is last but it is not least. Pray. If you are so inclined, ask God to give you a grateful heart. If you believe that all good gifts come from a loving creator as I do, the mere humble act of prayer is an agent of change that produces a heavenly gratitude that lightens the heaviest of loads.
Why be grateful?
- Five scientifically proven benefits of gratitude
- Why Being Thankful Is Good For You
- 7 Scientifically Proven Benefits Of Gratitude That Will Motivate You To Give Thanks Year-Round
A thankful approach makes you more pleasant to be around, an attitude of gratitude makes you healthier, and personally, I found It gives me a greater acceptance of circumstances beyond my control (and let’s face it, there are a lot of them.)
This year, our family has felt the highest of joys and lowest of sadnesses. You, too, may have challenging circumstances:
- Being far from loved ones this holiday season.
- You may be struggling with illness or loneliness.
- You may have worries too profound to be spoken.
Experiment with gratitude. Just try.
Before you know it, from the inside out, you will begin influencing others towards gratitude rather than being influenced from the outside in by worries and circumstances. Though your circumstances won’t have changed the weight in your heart will.
And if by chance your heart is weighed down by the pain of broken relationships, watch this. You’ll understand the importance of letting go of grudges, and carrying forward gratitude for what’s good.
(Thank you, Lynn, and God Bless You! Lynn has a wonderful library of thoughtful articles here on our site. I hope you read and cherish them all like I do.)