Thanksgiving is coming up, and people often overwhelm you with all the things that they are grateful for. You hear similar things on everyone’s lists such as health, family, pets, education, work, etc., and as important as all of those things are, and as grateful as you should be for them, what are some other things that you can add to this list that have impacted your life this past week? Month? Or even year?
Image by Jane Smither PowHERhouse West Coast Photography Editor
Recently, my friends have been filling my Facebook news feed with 100 things that make them happy following the hashtag #100daysofhappiness. At first, I thought that they were just posting random things that they enjoyed for no particular purpose. But as I continued to follow their posts, I realized that they were posting about the little things that made them grateful for life and collectively shared in their small successes. Posting about the little things and taking the time to appreciate them proved to be a happiness driver. Studies have shown that practicing gratitude exercises on a daily basis increase energy, alertness, and creativity all while reducing stress and depression.
How many of us really take the time to appreciate the things, events, or people in our lives? Yes we may do it from time to time, and more so when Thanksgiving rolls around. I must say that I am guilty of the same. Not everyone needs to post pictures and a write up all over their social media sites for 100 hundred days about the things that make them happy (although if the idea interest you- go for it!), but we should all take the time on a daily basis no matter what you are going through to just reflect on the things in life that we appreciate.
If you want to take your reflection one step further, think back a week, month or even over the past year and ask yourself a few of these questions:
Image by Jane Smither PowHERhouse West Coast Photography Editor
- What were some of the key lessons you’ve learned and the major takeaways?
- Who has impacted you, what caused the impact and why has it resonated with you?
- Everyone has had a moment like this in the past year, but how often to you actually think about it and interpret these events in detail? Take time to reflect on your accomplishments in the past year.
- What events or leanings have made you a better person or helped you get further ahead in terms of your goals?
If you have done things that you feel proud of accomplishing, take time to celebrate it- no matter how big or small.
David Steindl sums up the power of gratefulness and how it can lead us to a happier version of ourselves. Please take fifteen minutes out of your day – or your Thanksgiving Weekend – and check out the video below.
Selina Lam is our PowHERhouse Young Women in Leadership Editor. The uber-talented Jane Smither is our PowHERhouse West Coast Photography Editor. You can learn more about both of these PowHERhouses here.
