Written By Pamela Meister
Finding Joy & Gratitude During the Holidays and Beyond
Joy and gratitude are the foundation of my business. What’s more, I help my clients to build their businesses around things that they love, to achieve that nearly mythological concept of work-life balance.
It’s a timely message for Thanksgiving week. So I am sharing some examples of people who enrich their own lives with these practices. Moreover, I’m sharing some tips for how you can inject joy and gratitude into your own life and business.
How to Find Joy in the Every Day
Can you find a way to find at least one positive thing about every day? How about one thing we’re thankful for each day? Or still yet, something, no matter how small, to look forward to every day?
Maybe it’s a hot shower.
Perhaps it’s a workout.
Or, maybe it’s a cup of coffee or a friendly conversation.
Whatever it is that you can use to find your joy, once you start focusing on something every day, something amazing starts to happen. Your mindset begins to transform, and you find yourself relaxing, and nearly everything in your life starts to look a little brighter.
As you start to think about what brings you joy, think of something that makes you light up.
I’ll give you a hint. For me, it’s cooking. It’s something I love that brings me joy. And, actually, I see it as an art form. I love combining different things to make something amazing that I can share with family and friends.
The bottom line is that I’ve built my life around what brings me joy and gratitude and in turn, a business that allows me to live a life I love. It’s what I want for everyone because it means so much to take the time I need to do the things that I love.
5 People Who Are Expert Joy Practitioners Throughout the Year
I mentioned early on that some people in my life have really nailed the idea of bringing small pieces of joy into their day. Here are some examples!
David & His Espresso
David is a close friend and a former coworker of mine. And every afternoon, he’d stop his work and take the time to make himself a small cup of espresso. He used a real cup, too, not paper. And that brought him happiness. It was something for him to look forward to, whether he spent the time chatting with a colleague, sitting quietly or something in the middle. He took that time for himself and it gave him a reset.
How You Can Practice Gratitude Like David:
Give yourself a small, regular break to enjoy something in your day. Maybe you have a favorite tea, perhaps you love coffee, or maybe you just love fresh air. Take 5 minutes to yourself to really take it in. Focus on the present, and clear your mind of everything else. You’ll come back to the task at hand, fully refreshed.
My Grandfather & His Socks
My grandfather always wore fun socks, always. There wasn’t anything specific he loved, but he enjoyed socks with style. Characters, designs, fun patterns, you get the picture. Adding a fun dose of personality to his every day brought him joy. It was even more special because he was such a quiet man, and his socks made a great conversation point and opportunity to connect. Everyone loved seeing what Pop was wearing and seeing other people happy was a lot of what brought him joy.
How You Can Practice Gratitude Like My Grandfather:
You don’t have to do something wacky at all. However, if there’s something you enjoy adding to your every day, whether fun hair clips, jewelry that starts a conversation, socks, or something else, then start adding it in! Expressing yourself in whatever way makes you comfortable and conveys your uniqueness can bring you a bit of joy each day, whether others recognize it or it's something simple that warms your own heart.
My Kids & Recess
Not all kids have recess before school, and for those that do, it’s not always formal playtime. Still, many schools let parents drop them off a few minutes early for supervised play. There are few things more joyful to kids than to start their day with friends and getting out their wiggles. To be fair, getting some of their energy out is worth a lot of joy and gratitude to the grown-ups in their lives, too. After all, it leads to increased focus and attention. There’s something to this for adults, also.
How You Can Practice Gratitude Like Kids:
Start the day on a joyful note. Maybe that’s exercise, spending a few minutes reading your favorite book, or an extra 5 minutes in the shower. The point is to find small ways to gift joy to yourself!
Ronnie & The Crabcake Calendar.
Ronnie is a cousin of mine, originally from Maryland, who retired to Florida. He missed some of his favorite places, though, especially when it comes to crab cakes, which Maryland is known for. Because of that, he maximized all of his trips home to visit his favorite crab cake spots. And, he went to the next level by creating a crab cake calendar. He uses it to keep track of everywhere he ate crab cakes, what their specials were, and any other details he felt were worth noting. It gave him a way to track something he loved, while also sharing his culinary adventures with friends and family.
How You Can Practice Gratitude Like Ronnie:
Maybe crab cakes aren’t your thing. There are runners out there who run a half marathon in every state and keep logs of their favorite races. Baseball players who wear the same sweaty hat all season for good luck. The point is, find something you love, and then create a ritual or routine so it's a regular part of your life. Share it with the people in your life. Embrace and your unique interests and make time for them.
My Dad & The Fireplace.
We all have small habits that may seem unnecessary, but that truly make our lives feel fuller and create a feeling of comfort. My dad loves lighting a fire in the fireplace and parking his car in the garage, especially on cold days. He also will light a BBQ grill in the winter even with snow on the ground.
How You Can Practice Gratitude Like My Dad:
Find something in your environment that you can control that makes you feel better about it. Maybe yours is using a remote start for your car every day. Or perhaps you love a particular scent and diffuse it throughout your home. Then again, maybe you’re just like my dad and enjoy the warmth and comfort of a wood-burning fireplace. Enjoy the simple comforts around yourself. Splurge on a new set of sheets or a soft pillow. Indulge a little bit to make your home feel homier!
Joy Goes Into Overdrive During the Holidays
It’s true. Everyone feels the urge to practice more joy throughout the holiday season. It can be stressful, but it doesn’t have to be. So today, I’m asking you to make a conscious effort to focus on joy and gratitude. Whether you’re stressed by holiday travel, by spending time with your 2nd cousin who drives you nuts, or by how you’re going to "get it all done", I’m going to ask you to stop. Take a deep breath and step back.
We put so much effort into the holiday season. Clearing the calendars, saying no to yet another get-together, and spending time with loved ones is something that we get to do. But it doesn’t always feel completely joyful. Sometimes it’s enough to make you break out in hives. It doesn’t have to be that way, though, when you take a few minutes to integrate more joy into your lives each day.
Expressing Joy & Gratitude Doesn’t Have to Be Limited to the Holidays
Why do we focus on expressing joy and gratitude during the holidays? Part of it ties into the season: Thanksgiving, after all, is all about being grateful for what we have. It also relates to the end of the year and reflecting on what went well. Similarly, we often express gratitude as we gift people who add to our lives.
So this year, I’m challenging you to think of ways to gift joy even with something small. Gifts are often a go-to, but it doesn’t have to be a present. Sometimes, the best gift is spending time together, and experiences, or a heartfelt message telling people that you genuinely appreciate them.
I’ll give you an example. Someone I work with recently wrote me a letter expressing how much they value me as a person, as a colleague/consultant, and as a friend. I go back and read that often because it reminds me that someone sees me for the person I truly am.
A word to the wise. If you are sending messages of gratitude this season (or any time), your word MUST come from a genuine, authentic place. I can tell you from experience how hard it is to stay true to yourself with everything competing for your attention. But when you’re able to do it, and someone recognizes that it can mean everything.
Tradition vs. Spontaneity
If it’s possible, it’s vital to have a balance between tradition and spontaneity. That alone can bring you joy. But there’s something about the unexpected that can be so much fun and create powerful, joyful memories.
We get on with our routines, but have you ever just got in the car, spent an hour or two driving, ending up somewhere new, and just having a great day trip.
Some people dream about hopping in the car with only your wallet and your passport, heading to the airport, and going somewhere new.
It actually happened to me a few years ago. When I was still dating my husband, I thought we were heading to NYC, but he had planned a surprise international trip. We explored several countries in just over a week, and I got to see all kinds of amazing places. And, believe it or not, that was my first trip abroad. It was a complete surprise to me and still comprises some of my most favorite memories.
Traditions are pretty incredible in and of themselves. It’s refreshing that every year at Thanksgiving, there will be certain dishes on the table. It makes you feel like a kid again with flavors that bring back memories and childhood joy. Maybe you look forward to a game your family plays each year.
And now, start thinking about traditions in your business. Let them know the things you appreciate that they bring to the table. Maybe you share your gratitude with a gift or card. Maybe you invite them to a virtual holiday party, but whatever you do, show up for them, and show them gratitude.
Joy & Gratitude In A Nutshell
Yes, the holidays are a great time of year to have more joy, but also to step back to figure out how to use what you love to make the rest of your year more joyful. After all, when we sit back and take a breather, we often gain a new perspective.
I’m grateful for my location independence. I can do what I do from almost anywhere, at any time. I can work hard to be 100% fully present with the people around me during the holidays. This year, we’re particularly focused on finding joy in new ways, while still honoring and remembering my father-in-law since we lost him precisely a year ago. My father-in-law is sorely missed. We are all grateful for our memories with him and I look forward to continuing to share those with my kids and reflecting on the joy he brought to our family.
Your joy and gratitude will look different than mine. Whatever practices you can put into play during the holidays and throughout the rest of the year, I wish that you can build your life around what makes you happy.
joy | holidays | gratitude
Pamela Meister