As I sit here on this last day of 2017, I saw this post I wrote on the last day of 2016 and it's still applicable for this year.
As I sit here on this last day of 2016, I'm thinking of all of the hopes and dreams a new year offers. I'm also thinking of the comments I've seen and heard, from a lot of people, about how they're so glad 2016 is over and behind them and how much better 2017 is going to be.
I remember that I heard the same thing at the end of 2015, and 2014, and 2013, and on and on. It got me thinking about why people feel that the past year was so bad and why they have such high hopes for the coming year.
Now, I know that life happens. I know that people lose loved ones, lose jobs, lose friends, lose homes, lose heroes, lose icons, lose symbols, lose money, lose keys even. They get sick, they break bones, they break chairs, they break nails. I know that people hang on to those losses and mourn their lives like, "Why do these things always happen to me?" At the end of the year, they look back at all of that and think, "Gosh, what a crappy year it was. Next year has got to be better."
Now, I know that life happens. I know that babies are born, people get new jobs, people meet new friends, people buy homes, people find new sources of entertainment, people make money, people find their keys. They are healthy, they heal, they have amazing furniture and healthy nails. I know that people overlook those things and hang on to those losses and mourn their lives like, "Why do those bad things always happen to me?" At the end of the year, they look back at all of the bad things that happened and think, "Gosh, what a crappy year it was. Next year has got to be better."
WHAT? The fact that you're reading this means you're alive. That's a great thing. You have electricity, a cell phone, computer or tablet. You have money. You have a place to live, most likely with a roof, most likely with a lot of things that work and are in one piece. Those are great things. You most likely have family and friends who LOVE you. That's an amazing thing. Chances are you have a job, a car, food in your pantry. Chances are you made it through the year, and last year, and the year before that conquering the battles as they came and the fact that you survived those battles made you a better person, and that's remarkable.
What is it that could turn a bad year good? GRATITUDE. Being grateful for what you have, even the smallest thing be grateful for. There are so many amazing quotes on gratitude. Look them up. Print them out. Hang them around your house. Here are a few to get you started:
Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude. Denis Waitley
Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Melody Beattie
Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings. William Arthur Ward
Gratitude is the healthiest of all human emotions. The more you express gratitude for what you have, the more likely you will have even more to express gratitude for. Zig Ziglar
I don't have to chase extraordinary moments to find happiness - it's right in front of me if I'm paying attention and practicing gratitude. Brene Brown
There are so many more but the common theme through them all is simple really. Practicing daily gratitude will give you an exceptional life, year after year. Overlooking and not appreciating what you have, always wanting something you don't have, always chasing something, will give you an unfulfilled life. It's okay to want, to have goals, to go after things, but it's much better for you if you do it while appreciating what you have, and trust me, every day will give you something to be grateful for.
Earlier this year I read a book, "The Gratitude Jar: A Simple Guide to Creating Miracles". It wasn't a very long book but it's a story about how a mom took a very hectic life and learned how expressing gratitude daily, for just 30 days, could change her life and those around her.
I realize some of you are fighting real battles, life threatening battles. I know some of you are supporting family members going through those battles. I've been where you are and I know how awful that fight can be. Still, from experience, be grateful. Be grateful for the time you have with those family members. Be with them every day and every minute, if not physically then be with them spiritually with gratitude.
I also suggest keeping a Gratitude Jar. Fill it with daily notes and comments of things you were grateful for that day. I haven't done this yet but i will this year. By doing so, it will make you aware of things you have to be grateful for daily. Gratitude then becomes a habit and amazing things happen when you're grateful. Then, at the end of 2017, you can open that jar, read through those notes and feel amazing that the past year was INCREDIBLE and the next one will be EVEN BETTER, with love and gratitude.
