Be Grateful Now...For What’s Coming Next
Be Thankful!
In the United States, we will celebrate Thanksgiving this week. Throughout the month of November we have been taking stock of our blessings, big and small. Everywhere you turn, someone is touting the benefits of gratitude. As a coach, I 100% concur that gratitude, genuine gratitude felt consistently, will transform your life.
“Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.”
My favorite secret to gratitude
Want to know my favorite secret to gratitude?
You can be grateful for blessings that are coming. You can be grateful for the trip that you are still only dreaming about. You can be grateful for the love that is coming your way. You can be grateful for the best friend you’ve been praying for. You can be grateful for the healing that you need.
Gratitude in advance is one of my secrets to building a happy and dreamy future while enjoying my life right where it is.
In the Book of Mormon, the ancient prophet Lehi was traveling with his family out of Jerusalem and into a new land, being led by the hand of God. In a frustrating moment, his wife Sariah complained about how hard the journey was and her fear for her children. In response, Lehi says something remarkable. He says, “I know that I am a visionary man; for if I had not seen the things of God in a vision I should not have known the goodness of God. . . But behold I have obtained a land of promise, in the which things I do rejoice…” I Nephi 5:4-5
He was still traveling to this unknown land of promise and yet, he was rejoicing and speaking about it as if he were already there.
This blows my mind every time I read it.
This blows my mind every time I read it. I had read these verses many times before I realized what was happening here. Lehi had so much faith in the promises that God had given him, that he was rejoicing and grateful in advance. How could I apply this to myself?
At the time I realized this, I was single. In my hardest, loneliest moments, I would thank God, with all the faith I could muster for my incredible husband. I would mentally play out my wedding day in my mind.
I still do this now with dreams, goals and blessings I’m asking for and pursuing. I play and replay my future dream trips, my future coaching clients, my future experiences.
You can journal about future events, goals and dreams
My daily routine
As part of my daily routine, I first show gratitude for what I am experiencing now. I am grateful for my fuzzy puppies, my loving husband, my wonderful family, the perfect Florida weather, etc.
And then, I write my goals, dreams, and hopes I’m working towards in the past tense as if I’ve already accomplished them and experienced them. I’m so grateful for the magical two weeks touring the English countryside with Mark. We connected, laughed, talked and explored.
I’m so grateful that my coaching practice has expanded to include so many wonderful women all wanting to travel the world and build powerful, meaningful lives at the same time.
You get the idea.
Homework
Try this today! Sit down, set a timer (for as long as you want, 1 min, 5 min, 30 min) and list out what you are grateful for today. Once that is complete, take a quiet moment to envision yourself 5-10 years in the future. What have you experienced? What has changed? How have you grown? Now, set a timer again and start drafting the same list from your future self.
Do it daily.
It will change your life.
Happy Thanksgiving today and every day.