What Are You Thankful For?
Thanksgiving began as a day of giving thanks for the blessing of the harvest from the year before. It's now a day we give thanks for all blessings. Family and friends gather, turkeys are carved, Macy's has its annual parade, and football is watched. If you don't take the time the rest of the year, there's no better time than Thanksgiving to think about all of the things you have in your life for which to be thankful.
One of the things I'm thankful for this year is that I've been able to help hundreds of our Roots of Personal Finance members save thousands toward their emergency funds and pay off thousands of dollars worth of debt. I've been able to instill hope and financial stability in their lives, by which I've been able to fulfill a dream of mine and I'm so grateful.
Working to better your financial situation can be difficult. There will be times you want to quit, ask yourself what's the point, and feel like it couldn't get any worse. But it can. I know it can be hard to be grateful and content when you're struggling to pay the electric bill. I've been there myself. But practicing the art of being thankful for all that you have in your life is critical in changing your finances. It makes such a remarkable difference for those who take it seriously.
When you find contentment in your life, you'll find more to be grateful for. Gratitude generates social capital. In two studies with 243 total participants, those who were 10% more grateful than average had 17.5% more social capital. Happiness is also a huge benefit; your relationships will improve and you'll be less envious of what others have. The material things in life won't seem so important and you'll stop focusing on what you don't have. You'll find that you can sleep better, which will increase your energy levels and help you maintain your health.
Not bad, right? Those are some pretty good payoffs!
I know we can get drawn into our situations and feel like we have it the worst. But, there are billions of people around the world who struggle with less. In fact, almost half the world, over three billion people, live on less than $2.50 a day. Millions don't have access to food and clean water. Some live on the streets and don't have adequate clothing. In many cases, the people I work with aren't that bad off. They still have plenty to be grateful for. They just messed up their finances and that can be fixed. It will be okay.
If you want to improve your financial life and your life as a whole, focus on being grateful and content. This Thanksgiving, I want you to focus on the good things in life. When you find contentment in what you do have, you'll see that more good things start to happen.
