An Attitude of Gratitude
When was the last time you stopped to really consider the things you are grateful for? It’s a challenge for most of us to take the time to really take inventory of the nuggets of goodness in our lives. Hear me out. I’m not referring to thankfulness for the people in our lives. I would say the majority of us are pretty good at acknowledging those in our lives who make our days whole and meaningful. I’m referring to our financial circumstances. For many of us it takes a big moment in our lives to dial us back into the place where we can truly have an attitude of gratitude around our financial circumstances. So, let’s take a pause this week from all the ways we should improve our financial habits and just focus on the good stuff.
You may have immediately thought “Whoa, wait a minute. I’m in debt up to my eyeballs, living paycheck to paycheck and haven’t taken a vacation in so long I’m not even sure I know what that word means. What do I have to be grateful for?” Let’s dissect that and see what happens.
You’re under a load of debt. That can feel like a 2 ton weight bearing down on you daily. I get it. But that doesn’t have to be your legacy. As long as you are breathing and working you are able to generate income to put that debt in its place. It may take time and discipline and foregoing that vacation (we’ll get to that in a bit). Yet, using discipline and maybe the services of a good financial coach (yep – selfish plug there) it can turn around. The cool thing about debt is – wait, debt is never cool – but the cool thing about life is YOU can impact that pile of debt. You hold the key to paying it down and making sure it does not get bigger. There was a time in my life that I had more open revolving credit cards than friends on FaceBook – or it seemed like that anyway. When I finally decided I was tired of living that way I started slowly to put the steps in motion to chisel away at it. It took years to get it done, but after about 6 months I began to see progress and that fueled my determination. What I had to keep telling myself was I could not change what I had done, but could certainly change what I did that day and in the days ahead. You too must look forward and not focus on the past. The rear view mirror is small for a reason. The windshield is large for a reason. Focusing on what you can do in the wide open windshield of your future allows for change to happen. Be grateful that you can change your behaviors and start making those changes today.
Living paycheck to paycheck? Not fun. I know, I’ve been there. Most Americans are there too – according to recent statistics, some 78% of us live that way. But if you have a paycheck then realize – YOU HAVE A PAYCHECK! Regardless of how large or how small, income is the single greatest asset you have. Use it to frame your future. Look at that income as a resource and focus on how you can make the most out of that resource. If we shift our thinking to one of telling our dollars what we want them to do for us, versus being controlled by our dollars, we take the power back into our hands and start shaping our own financial future. If you are living paycheck to paycheck, take a moment and be grateful for that check and consider how you can tell it what to do for you. The best way to tell your income what to do is by having a budget. Without a budget, your hard earned dollars do not have a defined purpose and you can easily loose sight of where your money goes. If you’re not sure how to do a budget that works, get someone to help you. It is not rocket science, but there are right and wrong ways to do a budget. So find a resource to help you and get on it. Just don’t loose sight of the ability to earn a living. I’ve spoken to so many clients who lost incomes as a result of COVID and are so very grateful now to see a regular income returning to their circumstances. Focus on the value your income provides and figure out how to make sure you get the most from it.
Ahhh, vacation! Many of us dream of it. We may even fantasize about the romantic moments on a white sandy beach with clear blue waters. Or some may visualize that stroll down the Champs-E’lyse’es in Paris with the faint melody of an accordion playing in the background. And for many, those versions of vacation happen. But for anyone struggling to make ends meet, those vacations may seem nearly impossible. What does the word “vacation” mean? According to my friend Merriam-Webster, it has several meanings including, “a scheduled period during which activity (as of a court or school) is suspended” or “a period of exemption from work granted to an employee” or even better, “a respite or a time of respite from something”. Hmm, where in that does it say you must “go” somewhere? I don’t see it. What I see is the intention of unplugging yourself from the normal work/stressors of your daily activity. Taking a breather. Goodness folks, we can do that without going anywhere. We can do that in our own towns or neighborhoods or even our own homes. We have the ability to decide how we disconnect and recharge our batteries. Let’s spend more time being grateful for the ability to make those choices AND to plan for future vacations that may include filling up the tank with gas and road trip snacks (personally, Pringles are the best) or somewhere in the future planning for the vacation that includes baggage fees and maybe even a passport.
A family member of mine shared a great concept with me this week. It was a “Gratefulness Jar”. The idea is to have it in a visible place in your home. Next to it place small pieces of paper that your or your household members can jot down each day something good that happened. Then, at the end of the year or maybe month depending on how quickly that jar fills up – empty it out and relive all those moments again. Try it and see if that doesn’t change your perspective and perhaps dial you back into the goodness in life. Focus on your gratitude may just make you want to continue the good work you’re doing to improve your financial future and launch you in new and wonderful directions. Good Luck! I’ll check back in with you soon to see how that’s going.
