Why this is the perfect year to be grateful.

This year, 2020, has been hard on us all. Honestly, I have been no exception. It’s more than just the pandemic. It seems that this year is determined to make people miserable in any way it can come up with. I recently listened to a talk by Russel M. Nelson, the president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who also happens to be a renowned heart surgeon. His prescription for hope and healing for all the things that have gone on this year was a very simple thing. He strongly recommended gratitude.

Showing gratitude doesn’t mean trying to pretend that everything around you is alright. It just means finding a way to say thank you for something however small it may be. It won’t fix everything, but it has the ability to help you see at least some good in an otherwise hard situation. It has the ability to lift others and help the person you are saying thank you to. It won’t usually change your circumstances, but it can change your attitude. President Nelson recommended posting something you are grateful for every day for seven days on social media and using the hashtag “#givethanks”.

I’m no fan of hashtags, but I have been doing it, and many of my family and friends have as well. It is amazing how much it has changed how I have been feeling the last few days. For the first couple, I had a hard time making myself post something. Now, it’s starting to be something I look forward to. And yes, the bad things aren’t gone. It’s not making me ignore them, but it puts me in a better frame of mind to deal with them. It has been a great help.

Whether or not it is near Thanksgiving, it is an exercise I would recommend to people whether they are religious or not. It can help anyone. It doesn’t have to be anything big. Maybe you are thankful for toilet paper. Maybe it’s that you have good toothpaste. Maybe it’s friends or family. Whatever it can be for you, there’s always at least one thing you can be grateful for.

What are some things you are grateful for this year?