Coincidentally, I just came across this excellent article as I was cleaning up some files in my office: http://ow.ly/JRQt

Couple of interesting points from this piece:

* Research has shown that grateful people have more energy and optimism, are less bothered by life’s hassles, are more resilient in the face of stress, have better health, and suffer less depression than the rest of us.

* People who practice gratitude are also more compassionate, more likely to help others, less materialistic, and more satisfied with life (how true this is!)

* When you practice gratitude, you naturally search for kindness, love, and goodness throughout the day so that you’ll have something new in mind to be grateful for when bedtime rolls around and it’s time to give thanks for the blessings you’ve received that day.

The article also talks about a daily practice from a Benedictine monk — a beautiful ritual that speaks to what Lexi suggested in an earlier comment here.

I’m trying to be more mindful of the many blessings in my life. It’s hard when you’re in the middle of it all. But I’m realizing that it’s an essential ingredient for happy and successful living.

And it works. The more you focus on what you do have, the more vibrant your life becomes.

Thanks for a lovely post, Ed.

Pete – I love that excerpt!!

Lexi – That’s is a WONDERFUL habit! You’ve just given me a great idea. When we say grace before dinner every night, I’m going to ask my wife and son to share something/someone they’re thankful for. I’ll do the same. It’s a small thing, but it helps foster an attitude and culture of gratitude. Thanks for sharing this with us.

But DH and I teach them that there’s always something to be thankful for. It may not always be something so extraordinary as a big birthday party or getting A’s in school. It can be as simple as being thankful for a delicious dinner, not being sick, and yes, simply being alive and able to walk and run and see and hear.

Come to think of it, the kids don’t complain about not having anything to be thankful for. Even the 3-year-old always comes up with at least one thing every night (usually something to do with food).

Thanks-giving should be something we do every single day. Let’s count our blessings every night before we sleep.

So thanks for this post. Happy Thanksgiving!

Lexi

“Your joy is your sorrow unmasked.
And the selfsame well from which your laughter rises was oftentimes filled with your tears.
And how else can it be?

The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain.

Is not the cup that holds your wine the very cup that was burned in the potter’s oven?
And is not the lute that soothes your spirit, the very wood that was hollowed with knives?

When you are joyous, look deep into your heart and you shall find it is only that which has given you sorrow that is giving you joy.

When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.”

~ Kahlil Gibran

I read those words when my dad was dying of cancer. He was a lovely man who, at the end of his cancer battle, suffered a slow and painful exit from this world. To watch it happen first hand was gut-wrenching. And yet, amidst a waterfall of my own tears for my dad, this poem helped me see that I was indeed ‘weeping for that which had been my delight.’

In tough times, those words helped me. If you’re going through a rough patch, I hope they do the same for you.

Happy Thanksgiving to all our American friends, readers and visitors to The Wealthy Freelancer.

And thank you to the other posters for all your sharing as well. Very moving.

What immediately came to mind for me was how when I was terminated in May, I got a lawyer involved – totally out of my realm to be terminated the way I was. Anyway, the day I had my final meeting with him and discovered that I really had no recourse for what I had endured, I came home and phoned my parents to bring them up to speed. My mom listened caringly and then when she sensed I was done, she told me that a longtime family friend had been aboard that flight that went down (June 1) that left Rio de Janiero for Paris. I was stunned to say the least, but once I had a chance to comprehend it, I became keenly aware of the devastation to his widow and two beautiful boys, one of whom was graduating from university in a matter of weeks – and how their sorrow would probably never completely abate. I shook myself off and said “in six months, my life will be completely different”. My so-called dilemma is not permanent, nor even all that important. And six months later, to the day, on Saturday, I am having an open house to officially launch my freelance copywriting business and I already have clients!

A quote, which I can’t attribute just now and will likely botch: If you remove the stones, the brook loses its song.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Laura – Great to see you here! Thanks for your kind words. You’re right — when times are tough there’s even more reason to be grateful. That’s counterintuitive to most of us (I know it was to me until very recently).

Pete – As you very well know (heck, you taught me this!), there are no such things as coincidences!

Fernando – Your attitude is amazing! Our character really shows when we’re put to the test, and the fact that you’re so grateful and have such an amazing perspective right now tells me that you’re on the right path. I wish you all the best, my friend. I know things will turn around for you.

Marlene – Your comment is right on target. Reminded me of a very inspiring fact. Did you know that the best wines in the world come from grapes that grow on highly stressed vines? These vines grow in horrible soil conditions and receive very little water and desert-like heat for 2 – 3 months. This forces the vines to grow deeper roots and work harder, which helps produce wines of deep complexity and character. I think it’s the same with people. As much as we hate tough times, if we treat the current environment as an opportunity to stretch ourselves — to grow deeper roots — we will come out of this mess much, much stronger. And richer in every way.

Dean – Thank you so much for that story. I got teary-eyed reading it. Isn’t it amazing how those with the least are often those who are happiest? I’ve seen poverty, but nothing like what you’re describing. And those who have seen it tell me the same thing: that these people were happy even though they had NOTHING. Wow! I’m going to use my keys to remind myself of this. What a great way to bring yourself back to reality.

One day we were shooting a scene near some railroad tracks. The little girl in the shot wasn’t looking at the camera the way we wanted. So without thinking, I pulled out my set of keys and started jingling them to get her attention. It was a natural thing to do. I’ve done it a hundred times. Then it hit me … those keys opened doors to a big house, a nice car, a safety deposit box at a bank, and other things that little girl will probably never have.

At first I felt guilty. Then I began to feel blessed. When I returned home, everything seemed greener and brighter. Ever since then whenever I’m feeling like things aren’t going my way, I jingle those keys and remember what I really have. Even on my worst days, I am a rich man.

This is also very important to freelancers. It’s easy to worry about slow times, but why not consider them a great opportunity to get back on track with marketing/admin work? When frustrated with cash flow, remember all of the amazing perks and freedoms we enjoy as self-employed.

Oh! And I find that in the process of trying to solve challenges, I really tap into my creativity in ways that I don’t when things are going smoothly.

I think about the people I volunteered to help back when I was in college: poor farmers in the Dominican Republic living in shacks with dirt floors. They had to go out to a common well to get water. However, they were always in a good mood, and my partner and I were always invited to different houses to eat. They shared what little they had.

And here I am feeling bad about my situation.

Great post and thanks Ed!