Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Last year I created a list of 60 things I’m grateful for. This year, I want to do something similar but in a regular post format!
Thanksgiving is all about gratitude. But I think gratitude should be constantly practiced and expressed. It’s been proven that being thankful for things in your life and expressing your appreciation can dramatically improve your life.
Happy Thanksgiving! A Thanksgiving Gratitude Post
According to psychology professor Robert A. Emmons (source here).
- “Two gratitude activities (counting blessings and gratitude letter writing) reduced the risk of depression in at-risk patients by 41 percent over a six month period.”
- “Gratitude is related to 23 percent lower levels of stress hormones (cortisol).”
- “Grateful people exercise more, eat better, are less likely to smoke and abuse alcohol, and even adhere better to medication regimens.”
What I’m Thankful for
This year has been an amazing one, and I have a lot to be thankful for. As you know, I came back from being a digital nomad around March of 2018.
It was one of my lowest points because a few personal events happened in my life, which I’ll dive into more right now. I had just ended a relationship and was still riddled with anxiety. I wanted to be around my family and friends so I came back from my travels. And at that point I felt purposeless, and I technically had no job and was living at home. I didn’t have a car because I had been traveling for so long, so with all these piling up on each other, I just felt like I had nothing.
Objectively I knew my perception was skewed, as nothing was seriously wrong. My net worth was quite high and I had a lot of passive income coming in. I also knew that I could start working on mastering skills and finding a new purpose. And I knew I didn’t need a relationship to be happy as self love and happiness come internally. So within a month I turned everything around by getting a job, car, and a place to live, and I put myself out there to make new like-minded friends at Meetups. And later on, I met that special someone.
It’s been a roller coaster of ups and downs. Having gone through the obstacles and coming back up, I try to remember just how lucky I am. Every day, I tell my partner that I’m grateful for him. I try to pay my parents’ bills and call them when I can. I put in effort to hang out with my close friends. I also express gratitude for my car which runs well *knock on wood* and cost less than $7,000 because I got it used. And I remind myself that my current position is amazing and purposeful, flexible, my coworkers are appreciative of me, and the job teaches me a lot about experiential / IRL marketing.
I still find that sometimes, I forget my appreciation and forget to stay present. Occasionally I’ll think in the future about next levels I want to achieve in my life which makes me slightly dissatisfied with my current situation. But rather than stay in that state, it is a lot easier for me to switch back to gratitude BECAUSE I’ve gone through my downs. I’ve pursued my digital nomad journey and know what it’s like on the other side – including both the pros and cons. I’ve been in relationships that weren’t totally right for me. And at this current moment, I know that I can leave and travel when I want to and that I don’t have to ever be stuck. I’m grateful because now I feel like I willingly CHOOSE the path I’m on and know I can change the situation if I ever want to. I guess I can see both sides of the equation better now, which lets me smile and appreciate, even through any downs.
I could dive into specifics of all the people, things, events, and situations I appreciate in my life. But rather than bore you, I’ll speak generally about how I’m very grateful for having experienced both the downs and ups. The amount I’ve experienced increased significantly between 2016 to 2019. Prior to 2016, I didn’t really have many challenges in my life. A lot of my perspectives were based on my own experiences which weren’t vast enough to validate my opinions and thoughts. I mean I think I was pretty ‘woke’, but I was definitely not ‘woke’ enough… I didn’t appreciate enough where I was from, and I couldn’t feel that deep appreciation for my well-paying job that forced me to learn a lot. I didn’t know the meaning of love and relationships or the hurt of heartbreak. I didn’t know what it was like yet to be my own boss and see the world.
This is why I want to experience as much as I can. Challenges and obstacles build character and humble you, and they also help you to never take things for granted. I’m grateful for the interesting journey that I’ve taken.
What Are You Thankful For?
I hope you enjoyed my post on things I’m grateful for in Thanksgiving (and on a daily basis). How about yourself? What are you grateful for this holiday season? Leave a comment below and let me know!
