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Do you make it a habit to practice gratitude? I hope the answer is yes, and if it is not, this post is going to attempt to persuade you that being actively grateful on a regular basis is a great tool for personal development.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving in the United States. It is the one day a year that everyone in the country is supposed to list a few things that he or she is grateful for – and then promptly eat themselves sick!

I have to admit that I did not appreciate Thanksgiving until pretty recently. It struck me as having all of the hassle of Christmas, without any of the presents. In the past few years, however, I’ve been closely looking at the practice of gratitude and I’ve become convinced that it’s a good thing to engage in far more often that one time per year.

Why Does Gratitude Take Practice?

Have you ever noticed how much of our daily conversations revolve around complaining of some type? I recently tried to go 48 hours without complaining, and I wasn’t very successful! Unfortunately, our brains seem to be wired to notice negative things more than we notice the positive. Turning this around takes some daily practice and habit formation.

Buddhist monks and other spiritual types make the daily practice of gratitude a part of their spiritual development. They keep a daily gratitude list, give thanks to others for very small things, and generally try to embody gratitude as a way of life. You may not have to go that far, but I think there is a lot to be gained from practicing gratitude regularly.

What Do I Get From Being Grateful?

According to one study, excessive complaining and “venting” of frustrations can lead to depression. We often think that “letting it all out” will make us feel better, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. In fact, the opposite often happens and we end up feeling worse, or coaxing our friends into telling us just how bad we have it.

Wallowing in self pity only hampers personal development. We can get demotivated, feel like a victim, and convince ourselves that there is nothing good to build upon in our lives if we get too far into complaining. By intentionally practicing gratitude you can open up your vision to all of the good things you have going for you (hint: there are probably a lot). When you know what you have available, you can see more possibilities for the future and start develop those things, making your life even better. It’s a positive spiral that feels really great when you really get cranking.

A Challenge For You

As part of your Thanksgiving holiday, think of at least 2 things that you are grateful for. Write them down, share them in the comments, or do the easy thing and share them at the What’s Right With You? post at Creating a Better Life. Here is my contribution:

Many things are right in my life at this moment. I have many, many options for the future and I’m excited about taking different paths in the next year. I have enough money to sustain me for quite a while. I have great friends who live in great place, and I have an awesome partner who is smart AND good looking! All in all, I live a pretty charmed life.

For extra credit, take someone aside before dinner tomorrow and let them know how grateful you are to have him or her in your life.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

Photo by eekim.

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