How You Can Be A More Grateful Person

THE LONG WEEKEND IS UPON US!! Thanksgiving celebrations will be all around this weekend! This holiday is a reminder for us to be grateful for all we have. But that's the part that's weird to me. WHY do we NEED reminders?? Shouldn't we be constantly appreciative?

Now I know to some of you it may seem like I'm living in a land of rainbows, cupcakes, & all the fluffy goodness. I'm not. I know life slings us shit like you wouldn't believe and we are left with the rainbows, cupcakes, & all the fluffy goodness COVERED IN A LAYER OF SHIT so thick you can't even tell 'em apart! There is no one there to help you clean up the mess.  And to top it off, you don't have any rubber gloves. Hopelessness is one of the WORST FEELINGS. But what if I were to tell you that being in a constant state of gratitude will make you happier?

1. Realize there is a higher power at work

To be thankful means you are acknowledging something was given. So whether you are receiving that from God, Allah, Zeus, or whoever, know there is someone or something out there bigger than you.  Which leads me to my next point…

2. Be humble

You aren’t the center of the universe. Everyone and everything is connected in a complicated web. Stop thinking you SHOULD have or receive anything and start working for it instead. I'm sorry cuz I'm about to bust egos here, but WHO ARE YOU? You are a human EQUAL to the broke single mother from the run-down part of town working day-in and day-out to feed her kids. You are EQUAL to the weak old man in the wheelchair who needs assistance to breathe. You are EQUAL to the new highly educated and trained immigrants forced to work at a grocery store for minimum wage because their new home won't recognize their credentials. So I ask you again, who are you to be so entitled? That self-entitlement will prevent you from appreciating everything you have.

3. Let go of the past
Nothing worse than thinking about what you had or could have had because there is literally NOTHING you can do about it. Acknowledge the past happened the way it did, let go of grudges and be present in the moment and work on the future you want for yourself!

4. Gratitude is a choice
You can decide to be thankful or not. There are so many things to be thankful for. So you can choose to seek them out or choose to focus on what you don't have.  It's really that simple.

5. Control your thoughts
Positivity is one of the big players in the game.  Like gratitude, being positive and hopeful is also a choice. Only you can change your outlook on your life at any given moment. You are capable of converting negativity into something positive. So your attitude adjustment is solely dependent on you. Change can happen IF you want it.

6. Stop comparing yourself
It's counter productive to compare yourself to others who have the things you want. Doing this focuses your attention on the things you don't have instead of the things that you do. Understand that you can't see everyone's clean and dirty laundry. That's not good housekeeping (literally and figuratively). It's unfair to yourself to compare your life, of which you know every single detail, to another who you only see glimpses of.

7. Daily Practice
Make a conscious effort to think about all the things you are thankful for everyday.  So whether that is prayer, meditation, or writing a list, do this DAILY. This FORCES you to really examine your life and start appreciating the little things in your life. At the end of it, I promise you will feel like a lucky person!

8. Stop complaining
Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, has their own shit they have to deal with. Why does it seem like some have a perfect life?  Well they don't. They can just cope with crap better than you. Quit the constant grumbling and start either thinking of solutions to your problems OR shift your focus to other things that benefit your life.

9. There's always an expiration date
Things of this world are not eternal. The time we have with someone, with an opportunity, in possession of something, will eventually come to an end. Being grateful will come when we are aware of the potential of being without something/someone.