Gratefulness is a Mindset

Years ago, I grabbed coffee at the Balzacs underneath Blairhouse in Waterloo with an older friend.

He saw that I had the “Five Minute Journal” in my bag. For those that don’t know, the Five Minute Journal is a daily journal that asks what 3 things you’re grateful in the morning, then what are 3 highlights of your day in the evening. It’s meant to take five minutes to fill out, hence the name.

I heard that gratefulness is a powerful habit and I first got the journal a Christmas gift back in 2017. I filled it out religiously for months. But I wasn’t getting it. I still felt the same.

When my friend saw the book in my bag he told me that’s an important habit I’m building. I asked him why and he told me that gratefulness is a mindset. He pointed to a glass with water on the table, “One person can look at this glass and say the glass is half full, another person says it’s half empty. It’s the same glass, two different perspectives.”

This applies to everything. One person may be grateful that they work at Google and have a free delicious meal served to them every day. Another person may complain that today’s steak isn’t as good as last week. One person may see a challenging work situation and be grateful for the opportunity to learn and grow. Another person may complain about their boss and circumstances.

What I love about Thanksgiving is that it’s a day where we all practice gratefulness. But let’s not wait for Thanksgiving, let’s practice gratefulness everyday.