The day before Thanksgiving is usually filled with shopping, cleaning and preparation for the big dinner since my husband, Tom, and I host my family each year. After the chaos of making sure everything is ready on time and will taste delicious, we start our meal by taking turns saying why each of us is thankful. It’s very easy for this to become a rote exercise so we can all dig into the food that awaits us. This year I am going to encourage my family to not only think about what they are grateful for on Thursday, but to make it a daily habit.
Over the years, I have read many articles that talk about the benefits of not only being thankful, but taking the time to be conscious of the things in our lives (no matter how small or big) that make each day better. I’ve gotten in the habit of writing down at least three things I am grateful for each day. Some days I can rattle off more than three with no problem. Other times, three seems like an impossibly large number.
In this blog, we often write about the impact the daily barrage of bad news has on your ability to stay the course so that you can reach your financial goals. But constantly being exposed to all that is wrong in this world affects a lot more than our investment portfolios. It’s easy to feel a general sense of doom hanging over our heads when our negative thoughts outnumber the positive.
So, before you break bread with your family on Thanksgiving, take a few minutes to really think about all of the wonderful things that you have to be thankful for this year. I know one thing that is always on my list is that I am blessed to have a career I am passionate about and truly enjoy. I realize this can be rare. I have learned so much from my clients over the past 22 years and for that I am truly grateful.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!