Kim Israels earned her Certified Life Coach designation through the Institute of Professional Empowerment...read more
Life Coaching
Why Giving Thanks is So Important
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“God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say thank you?” —William A. Ward
Thanksgiving marks a feast of celebration and thankfulness to Native Americans who helped the settlers of Plymouth Colony survive in the New World. It is a time to gather with family and friends and enjoy the bountiful food of the harvest season. It is a time for us to take a moment to ask ourselves what we are thankful for.
The Healing Power of Gratitude
Recently on the news, a reporter interviewed a woman who had just lost her beautiful home, a lifetime of collectibles, memorabilia, treasured photographs and everything else she owned in a fire that ravished the Malibu hills. The woman could have easily cried, complained, cursed and been outraged at her enormous loss, and I would have certainly sympathized and understood those feelings. Instead, she chose to focus on what she was thankful for rather then focusing on what went wrong. She expressed her gratitude to the firefighters and her thankfulness for being alive. She said her home was only a material object and her possessions did not possess her. I wondered if I would be able to feel such gratitude under similar devastating circumstances. Although grievance is a natural response to any significant loss, it is through the realization of what we can be grateful for that helps us accept the loss, move on, and begin to heal.
Practice Makes Perfect
Practicing gratitude and expressing appreciation does not come naturally to everyone. It’s a habit that begins with awareness, a conscious decision to focus on things in our every day experiences that we can be grateful for. Do we tend to look at only the problems, the obstacles, or the difficulties in living? As hard as some of our lives may be, there is always something to be grateful for. Having thoughts of gratitude can make us happier and healthier. There are both physical and emotional benefits to practicing gratitude, including:
- Feeling optimistic and more joyful
- Being more focused
- Having more energy
- Feeling compassion for others
- Feeling empowered
- Sleeping better
Giving Thanks Every Day
Before I begin my day, I think of five things I am grateful for. During the day I am mindful to say “thank you” to other people. Just having thoughts of thankfulness for my pets, my friends, the ability to enjoy beautiful art, listen to soothing music, look out my window and see roses in bloom, all incite feelings of gratitude and a sense of joy.
Saying prayers before bedtime is a way people give thanks, to God, for all the blessings in their lives, but not everyone prays as a part of their bedtime ritual. Before falling asleep at night, I urge you to reflect with a sense of appreciation on meaningful experiences you had during the day, the food you enjoyed, and anything that made you smile. It is surprising how many things we can find that are pleasing to us if we just take a moment to think about them.
Practice expressing gratitude and use one of those 86,400 seconds to say “thank you” on a daily basis. Your life will change.
Posted in Life Coaching: Kim Israels
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