During the Thanksgiving season, we invariably engage in the annual traditions involving food, family, friends, fun, and football. Occasionally, some of us might give a thought to something we're thankful for, but it is too often the exception and not the norm. I would like to see you make Thanksgiving a part of your daily routine throughout every day of the entire year. Thanksgiving can be your antidote for fear, depression, anger, greed, or jealousy. It is impossible to have any of these destructive emotions while you're being thankful.
If you are at all familiar with me through any of my speeches, books, or movies, you have probably heard about The Golden List. This is a life-changing principle that was taught to me by my grandmother when I was just a preschooler. Apparently during a visit to my grandparents' home, I was in a bad mood because I didn't have my friends, my dog, or my toys around to keep me occupied. I guess I was whining or complaining about it, and my grandmother told me I could complain all I wanted once I filled out my Golden List. When I told her I didn't know what that was, she explained that a Golden List is simply the process of writing down 10 things for which you are thankful.
I have been following this process every day for more than 50 years, and I have found it to be a miracle cure for almost anything that is wrong in my world. Gratitude sets the tone for success, abundance, cooperation, and creativity. It causes us to focus on what we have instead of what we don't have which is the beginning of all success. You may consider the Golden List a gift from my grandmother through me to you. You should take the standard dose of writing down 10 things for which you are thankful for daily, and conditions in your life will improve dramatically.
Please feel free to share your prescription for your Golden List with family, friends, and colleagues. Not only will you improve their world, you will improve your own world as you won't be surrounded with as much whining, complaining, or negative emotion.
I would encourage all families to make the Thanksgiving holiday a time to publicly share at least one thing that each person around the table is thankful for, and then collectively agree to keep the Golden List going all year long.
This one tradition will make you thankful for everything in your past and give you many more things to be thankful for next Thanksgiving. As you go through your day today, give yourself and your loved ones the gift of the Golden List.
Today's the day!
Thank you for sharing this Jim. I completely agree with what you said. I appreciate your Grandma's Golden List. I especially agree with: Gratitude sets the tone for success, abundance, cooperation, and creativity. That is so true! In fact, I am in the process of creating a 3-year Gratefulness Journal!