Why you should be thankful throughout your entire life

TeamIgnite's Ignite Coach Ron Mitchell JD, MBA, on why you should be thankful throughout your entire life.

By Ignite Coach Ron Mitchell JD, MBA 

This is part of a series of Ignite Monthly columns by Ignite Coach Ron Mitchell JD, MBA, an American entrepreneur, veteran and author. It is presented by BEM Enterprises LLC.

From Fortune 500 to not-for-profit organizations and the U.S. federal government, I've provided innovative strategies and solutions to businesses of all sizes to fuel high performance.  Recently, I was asked by a group of young professionals residing in different part of the world why they should be thankful throughout their entire life. Throughout my career I have been asked to coach and or transform organizations, communities, executives, leaders, young professionals and thousands of employees to help ignite humility, gratitude and peak performance in companies across the globe.

For example, I often help people to become more thankful and remain in the present moment by insisting they are aware of all that they have and take a few minutes out of their busy lives to appreciate the little things. Additionally, I discuss the benefits of being thankful e.g. positive thoughts are often generated and instantly your mood can change and help you overcome negative energy. Being thankful can also be the catalyst to help you acquire a new and better outlook on life and ignite good vibrations. Through my personal and professional experiences, I've discovered a variety of ways to be thankful. Here are a few things you should consider:

1. You should focus more on external things oppose to your internal feelings that are often deeply rooted within the fabric of our emotions.

2. On a daily basis acknowledge all the things that you have and it will help ignite a feeling of achievement and satisfaction within you.

3. On a regular basis write down in a journal things that you are thankful for and it will help combat negative energy.

4. Concentrate on appreciating the little things in life e.g. family, love and support.

These steps will teach you why being thankful is actually important. Educate you on why gratitude and being thankful are keys to ensuring a healthier and a happier life. In fact, many believe grateful people show more likeliness towards: Avoiding problematic and harmful physical symptoms. Coping with daily challenges and stress in a better manner than others can lead to a more fulfilling life.

Additionally, you should be willing to challenge yourself to evolve personally and professionally, which entails becoming more thankful. Quite often in life when we decide to pursue our goals and dreams, unfortunately things don’t manifest the way we envision. As a result, we become overwhelmed by emotions and forget about all the things that we have going for ourselves. Therefore, I think it is imperative that we celebrate every moment in life with gratitude and create positive energy filled with wonderful memories. 

I'm on the road several days throughout the year for speaking engagements and meetings with clients. Therefore, I am in constant contact with my team and meeting emerging entrepreneurs and businesswomen because I enjoy learning about their personal and professional challenges. We believe in our mission, which is "to ignite the fire within and drive the human spirit". As a result, on a daily basis to help provide the best cutting edge solutions, and to become better coaches we practice being thankful for our clients, good health and for a bright future. This way, as an evolving organization we are able to challenge our ability to problem-solve and show gratitude when serving our clients.

Here are four ways to become more thankful:

1.    Focus more on external things oppose to your internal feelings

-      Eating a healthy diet.

-      Maintaining a bright future and outlook in life.

-      Exercising on a regular basis.

-      Feeling happier and more optimistic.

2.    On a daily basis acknowledge all the things that you have

Quite often in life we forget about the many luxuries that we have and or what we have achieved e.g. overcoming illness, purchasing a home, giving birth to a child and more. As our story change, so does the season in our lives. Changing our attitude can empower us to improve other areas of our lives; which should inspire a new perspective and understanding about life and it’s treasures that should be acknowledged and cherished.

3.  On a regular basis write down in a journal things that you are thankful for

Studies show that giving thanks and being with family and friends both make people healthier.

If you keep a journal, you're also likely to exercise more, have fewer aches and pains and feel more optimistic than if you complain about things that drive you crazy or don't matter much. Some suggested, that spending 15 minutes daily focusing on your gratitude will dramatically decrease stress hormones. Think about the people who are important in your life and write them a note of gratitude. If possible, thank them in person. This will help develop a deeper connection with others and inspire new moments.

4.    Concentrate on appreciating the little things in life

Some studies suggested that being grateful and appreciating the little things in life is developing a mindset that nothing has the ability to compromise your contentment. Contentment can create the conditions that you desire to see in your life. Cultivating a lifestyle of gratitude will be the best decision you ever make and help you live a more fulfilled life.

To learn more about why you should be thankful throughout your entire life, give us a call at (202) 630-3120 or click on the Ignite Her Conferences logo below for information about individual and group tickets: