An Untapped Superpower

Every single year, Americans bake turkeys and gather with families and friends for a day called Thanksgiving. Whether the holiday is exciting for you or not, it reminds each and every one of us to be thankful. It’s a special reminder to bring forth from inside of us a spirit of gratitude no matter how difficult or joyous your circumstances might be. But the beauty of gratitude is not only a season, it’s a state of mind that transforms your life completely.

I remember hearing the actor Terry Crews on a late-night show once. Known for his contagious positive personality, the interviewer asked him the secret to his energy. Without skipping a beat, Crews said that, “the key to energy is gratitude…the more thankful you are, the more energy you get.” Not only that, but he mentioned that the reverse – dwelling on the negative – saps the joy and energy away from you. And the beauty of this gratitude is that you don’t need to be a celebrity to get it. Gratitude is an untapped superpower, available to us all through a daily mindset of thoughtfulness.

Even science supports this. Psychologist Shawn Achor has shown that practices like writing three new things you are grateful for for 21 days literally rewires your brain for the better. In other words, as you express thankfulness, you become happier, healthier, and more positive. Gratitude energizes and changes us.

As you celebrate this season, be grateful. In your own time and in your own way, focus intently on the spirit of thankfulness, and experience the blessing that comes with it.