The One Thing

I know – Thanksgiving was a month ago.  But this has been a pretty crappy year in a lot of ways (devastating floods, unstoppable wildfires, sexual assault revelations, starving polar bears, frightening politics), so I decided to wrap up 2017 with some gratitude.

A multitude of research tells us that gratitude is good for both your emotional and intellectual well-being, and I’m a believer.  But rather than going into the scientific evidence and anecdotal proof, today I just want to talk about the things in my life that make me happy. 

It’s so easy to get swept up in the negative.  I don't know about you, but I never wake up in the middle of the night and starts obsessing about everything I did right the day before (or week, month, year, lifetime before.  It’s fine, I’m fine, let’s move on). 

So let’s talk about what makes me grateful. 

My kids.  First and foremost, they’re awesome.  It’s true.  You probably think I’m bragging, and believe me, I am. Still, if you met them, you would agree with me.  They’re healthy, smart, funny, thoughtful, enlightened, generous, beautiful, and just plain amazing human beings.  I am unbelievably fortunate to be their mom.

My marriage.  My husband is a good man.  He, like my kids, is smart, funny, healthy, and so on.  He takes good care of me, from making sure I take my vitamins to cleaning the snow off my car so that I don’t have to.  He’s unfailingly supportive and patient.  And after all these years, he’s still my best friend.  Also, as you can see, he is one hell of a photographer.  

  

My extended family.  My parents and brothers may live on the other side of the country, but I am so lucky that they are the kind of people that they are.  People that I can stay close to and connect with no matter what physical distance lies between us.  Even though we aren’t geographically close, it’s remarkably comforting to know that I have them in my life.

My friends.  I’m thankful for this small but critical group of amazing people that I have the opportunity to call friends.

My job. Every day I go to work at an office that’s only a fifteen minute commute from my home.  My job is interesting, challenging, and fun.  I have health benefits, plenty of paid time off, co-workers I trust and like, a boss who genuinely cares about his team, and a manager who has my back.

My health.  After kind of a rough year physically in 2016, I have been pleasantly healthy in 2017, with nothing worse than a couple of minor colds that I deftly drove into quick submission.

My cell phone.  I don’t intend to be trivial here, but my phone is awesome.  The latest update allows me to insert Star Wars characters into photos via augmented reality.  It is soooo cool.  I mean, look at this - that’s my desk! 

Even if your phone isn’t as cool as mine (and unless you have a Pixel, it probably isn’t), I’ll bet it still has some mind-blowing features.  We carry tiny little super computers around in our pockets these days.  Beat that.

I’m also grateful for (in no particular order) central heat, AC, indoor plumbing, refrigeration, long hot showers, gym membership reimbursement from my health insurance, chocolate, Snapchat filters that make me feel pretty, independent movie theaters, my Prius’ gas mileage, first responders, libraries, well-stocked grocery stores, ice, caffeine, and red lipstick.

The thing about gratitude is that once you adopt the mindset, you’ll feel better.  Your overall outlook will improve, you’ll sleep better, you’ll have more energy, you’ll be more resilient, and you’ll have higher self-esteem.  It effects how people feel about you, too.  They’ll confide in you, trust you, and collaborate with you more when you have a positive attitude.  Attitudes are contagious, too, so your improved mood will spread. 

So while you're reviewing how your 2017 went and planning for 2018, there's one thing you can do that I guarantee will make you feel better:  gratitude.