I’m not necessarily one for making resolutions. Something about the very word seems to set it up for failure. But I do believe in setting goals and intentions as a way to keep life going in the right direction. It also forces me to contemplate what I want to accomplish and the steps necessary to make it happen.
Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about gratitude. How it’s so easy to be focused on what you might not have that you forget to enjoy what you do. To have a case of the “happy whens”. It goes something like this, “I’ll be happy when”…
- I have a new house / remodeled house
- I’m 10 pounds lighter
- George Clooney comes to his senses and realizes I’m the girl of his dreams
- I get _________ (new car, new outfit, new job… fill in the blank)
Meanwhile, you might be missing out on all the great stuff you already have going on. All it takes is a shift in perspective to turn it around.
Intention: Gratitude is the Attitude
My partner in crime at work, Laura, and I talk about such things all the time so for Christmas she gave me the gift of gratitude in the form of a box of 52 thank you notes and a gratitude journal. This has inspired me to set the intention of sending all of these by the end of the year. Not just sending them but filling them with heart-felt notes of gratitude.
I imagine it will be easy at first and that I’ll have to dig a little deeper as the year goes on. Can I find my art teacher from high school and send her a card thanking her for encouraging me to go to art school? Locate long lost friends that I still think about and wish were still in my life? Maybe go out of my comfort zone and write a well known author that inspires me?
Appreciation holds a lot of power. If someone feels appreciated, it’s easy for them to appreciate, and so the ripple effect starts. I’m a strong believe that no act of kindness is ever wasted.
As you might imagine that first thank you note went to Laura, not just for the gift but for giving my change in perspective a big ol’ swift kick in the butt.