Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays…filled with family, friends, and great food! Who could ask for a better combination?
Note the first part of the word ‘Thanks’ Each year as we approach the Thanksgiving holiday it causes me to reflect on the things that I am most thankful for.
I recently had the privilege of attending a conference and heard Darren Hardy speak about some of the things that have made him successful. He told a story about how he started a ‘Thanksgiving Journal.’ Every day for an entire year he would write at least one thing that he appreciated about his wife. He looked for things that touched him, or revealed attributes, characteristics, or qualities that he appreciated, and wrote them down secretly for an entire year. The following Thanksgiving he presented her with his ‘Gratitude Journal’ filled with a year’s worth of entries of all the things that he was grateful for. Wow! Imagine how she felt receiving that gift. She cried, calling it the best gift she’d ever received.
The funny thing was, Darren went on to say, that the person most affected by the gift was him! All that journaling had forced him to focus on all of his wife’s positive aspects. He was consciously looking for all the things she was doing “right”.
The heartfelt focus overwhelmed anything he might have otherwise complained about. He fell deeply in love with her all over again. His appreciation, gratitude, and intention to find the best in her was something he held in his heart and eyes each day. This caused him to show up differently in his marriage, which of course, made her respond differently to him. Soon, he had even more things to write in his Thanksgiving Journal! As a result of choosing to take a mere five minutes every day to document all the reasons why he was grateful for her, they experienced one of the best years of their marriage, and it’s only gotten better!
I have not stopped thinking about that illustration since hearing it! So, I’ve decided to present each one of my family members (including the grandchildren)with a journal of their own tomorrow with a challenge to start a ‘Thanksgiving or Gratitude Journal’. Imagine, starting our children off from an early age with the mindset of looking for all the things we have to be thankful for on a daily basis! I’m so excited to see and hear about the changes that happen in each of our lives as a result of focusing on all that is good in our lives and relationships.
I challenge you to spend some time thinking about what are you thankful for today.
Will you join me on this journey of starting a ‘Gratitude/Thanksgiving Journal’?
I’d love to hear from you with comments and feedback along the way!
Warmest wishes for a blessed Thanksgiving,
Wendy
PS: Check out this beautiful Thanksgiving video:
The story above was taken from ‘The Compound Effect’ by Darren Hardy’