Occasionally, I share a post that I made in the past and update it because it is still so timely. This is one of those. As I read it this morning (the day before Thanksgiving 2015), I am once again so very grateful for how far those involved in the challenges mentioned in this post have come. The year 2015 wasn’t as challenging as that year and the year that followed. It has been a wonderful year with so very much to be thankful for. Before letting you read that post, I just want to say how very THANKFUL I am for all of you who take the time to read by blog posts and participate in GiftBasketBusinessInsders in whatever way you do.
Now, let’s hold the glass high as we toast the year that is almost behind us and look forward to a prosperous and, most importantly, happy 2016.
“The miracle of gratitude is that it shifts your perception to such an extent
that it changes the world you see.”
— Dr. Robert Holden
As I stop to reflect on the past year, I realize just how much I have to be thankful for.
Many of my readers live in the US and are celebrating Thanksgiving today. But no matter where you live, what you celebrate or how, taking a moment for appreciation and gratitude can really put things in perspective – and positive light.
It hasn’t been an easy year for me. The past month particularly has been a particularly challenging one.
But, as the saying goes, you can look at everything in life as “either a glass that is half empty or half full.” And I prefer the half full.
This morning is a beautiful sunny day. To me, it isn’t a day of turkey and all the trimmings or “over the hills and through the snow, to grandmother’s house we go.” It’s a day to celebrate all the wonderful things that we have to be thankful for. With that in mind, I made a list of things I am grateful for, and all the things in my life that I appreciate so very much. When I finished, I realized that the glass is much more than half full. It’s almost all the way full.
Interestingly, it was the current challenge that resulted in the things I am incredibly thankful for now. It has given me a new perception that has changed the way I see the world and what is really important. It has brought me much closer to special members of my family Life has a way of pushing you in the right direction, even when it’s uncomfortable – or downright painful.
When 2012 began, I never guessed how it would end. And 2013 will be no different. The ending can be incredibly different from the beginning.
Gratitude is powerful. Even when life isn’t being kind, it pays to appreciate the positives. Or even to appreciate the challenge at hand, knowing it will shape you into a better person and lead you in a better direction.
And, no, I’m not going to share my challenges. Life is a journey and we all have challenges of some kind in one way or another. It’s how we handle them and what kind of people they help mold us into that makes a difference.
I encourage you to try the exercise in gratitude. It’s amazing how it can change your perspective and affect your attitude, and how much it will motivate you to achieve even more things to be thankful for in the months and years to come.
For those of you celebrating, I wish you a beautiful Thanksgiving Day filled with gratitude.
May your life be full of love, happiness and success.
You’re absolutely right, Diane. This is a business that puts smiles on people’s faces.
Joyce I am very grateful for the trust that my customers put in my business and my in my service and I realize that I hold a very privileged position, visiting and delivering their gifts to their family and friends which they cannot do for themselves. What a pleasure this business is.
Sometimes it takes bad times to make us appreciate the good ones, Grace.
Great words of wisdom Joyce. When I take time each morning to count my blessings and think on the things I am grateful for, it takes my focus off my problems and helps me to see a bigger picture. It helps me to not take the good things in my life for granted, but to be appreciate them.
Hi Joyce, I couldn’t agree with you more. In the most challenging of situations that I have faced, I always find a positive benefit and focus on that rather than the negatives that are looking at me. I too am very grateful for everything in my life, and yes thinking positive thoughts of gratitude can really help to lift the spirits, especially when things are depressing or are pulling you down. There is always an upside, and we have a choice how we react and think. Thank you for sharing Joyce.
Happy Thanksgiving to all of you in the USA, we don’t celebrate that here in New Zealand, but we should. It would remind us of just how lucky we are as a country.