Christmas is just around the corner and its the time of the year where many of us are busy preparing to attend year end parties, catching up with family and friends, etc. It is indeed a time to be joyous. But before we head out and rush our Christmas shopping, we need to stop for a moment, yep, hit the pause button, look back at the year and consider all the things we need to be grateful about. Have you done your gratitude list?
A gratitude list, as the name suggests, is a listing of all the things one should be grateful for. Some do it on a yearly basis, others, monthly, some daily. There are so many things in life that we need to be grateful for, yet, we often take them for granted. Let me try. Its now 9:49 on a Saturday morning in Singapore.
- I woke up to a lovely whatsapp text exchange with my wife (who is in Melbourne)
- I am feeling great after a night of good rest
- My mother-in-law bought me my favourite breakfast
- It is a beautiful sunny day
- I am looking foward to meeting up with my mum, brothers and sister-in-laws for lunch in a while
- As I am writing this, I am sipping my cup of favourite green tea
- The courier just arrived with vouchers for my upcoming holiday with my family
- And the list goes on
Being grateful can turn around a negative mood or make a positive moment even more meaningful. As we begin to write our list, we tend to start with the important things in life, but soon enough, as the list gets longer, we begin to notice that it is the tiny little details, that actually lifts our day. Cherish all these little moments.
So, stop. Make yourself a nice cup of tea, play some nice background music and begin to put yourself in the right mood. Make your gratitude list. If it then happens that there are some special people on that listing, then go out there and buy them a meaningful gift. Your Christmas this year will be even more special. Happy Advent.
Oh…did you know that positivity attracts more positivity. My sis-in-law just knocked on my door and gave my family Christmas gifts. How wonderful is that!