One of the reasons that I try to be very disciplined about the time I spend online, whether it's scrolling through social media or reading news articles is because of all the negativity. It can be very toxic. I pay attention just enough to be aware of how what's going on in our world, our country, or our communities affects me, without letting it infect me.
At least that's the goal. It's hard sometimes, especially since there seems to be so much toxic and infectious information out there. My peace of heart and mind means too much to me to give that junk more time, space, and energy than it deserves.
Throughout my life I've had many growth opportunity seasons. Seasons where things went differently than how I expected and I had to figure out a way to accept the "for now" normal and adjust accordingly. This year has been one of those years. So many changes have occurred both personally and professionally. Some I planned for, and some I did not. The ones I didn't plan for were definitely the ones that were the most difficult to get through.
But one thing that anchors me, when times have been tough, is the discipline of gratitude. I say discipline because it definitely takes work. But I'll never forget what my therapist said to me one time. He said, "It's our tendency to find what we're looking for." And what he meant was that if I look for things to complain about and stress about, I'll probably find them. But conversely, if I look for things to be thankful for, I can find those too.
So how do I discipline myself to have gratitude? Simple. I make a gratitude list every night before I go to sleep. I write down 3, 4, or 5 things that I'm thankful for from the day. And what I've noticed now is that because that's my evening ritual, I spend the day looking for things to be thankful for. So now I call it treasure hunting. Everyday I go on a treasure hunt. I look for things to be thankful for. And guess what? 10 times out of 10, I find them!
Does that mean my life is perfect? Not hardly. But it keeps me balanced and gives me something to hold onto in order to find strength in the struggle.
So my encouragement to you, wherever you are, and whatever's going on. Find ways to be thankful. I promise it'll help you get through what you're going through.
Here's a real quick video from my one man show called The Gift Exchange that talks a little bit more about the importance of gratitude. As always, if you like this, share it with people you care about.
