The year has finally come to an end, and we are thankful to the higher power (God) for keeping us.
Towards the end of the year, there’s always this evaluation and introspection we do. We analyse our activities and output in the year and determine if we did well or not. Goals, ambitions, and visions are brought back to the board and assessed. Sometimes, we come away feeling sad, especially if you put in all the necessary work, and the results aren’t reflecting your efforts.
Worse still, others may be sharing their wins, and you look at your plans and projections, seeing how far they are from actualisation.
I was at this point in the last week of November. I looked at the list I wrote in January, and by the end of November, I was only able to strike out one thing. That one thing was major because, if that was the only thing God did for me, it was worth celebrating. But still, somehow, there was this feeling of sadness lingering. As a high achiever, I always push myself hard and try to exceed my own expectations, so I am usually hard on myself.
I sat in the place of prayer one night, and with that lingering feeling of sadness, I started to pray. Then it just dropped in my spirit: GRATITUDE. START THANKING GOD FOR EVERYTHING, BOTH BIG AND SMALL.
So, I started counting my blessings, from the seemingly insignificant to the significant ones. It was at this point that the eyes of my mind began to open, and I saw the truly wonderful things God had done and was still doing.
Gratitude always opens your eyes to these things. Somehow, December went into overdrive with courses I had registered for, and I was going to end the year with two major certifications and, most likely, an invitation to become part of the training team for a globally recognized organization. These things weren’t even on my list of things I’d hoped to achieve this year! But God did it. He gave me things I didn’t even think to ask for.
As I continued to thank God, I realized two other things on my list that weren’t achieved yet were already on their way to manifestation. It was at this point I started being grateful for those things that were still on their way to manifesting.
Half an hour later, I noticed that the sadness and sinking feeling had given way to excitement and gladness. My heart was no longer heavy. It had now become so light and bubbly that the session turned into full-blown thanksgiving. I looked at the year differently this time and realized I’d had a great run in it. The good, the not-so-good, and the terrible experiences all made for a unique testimony.
One of the key components of practicing gratitude is affirming the good things we have received.
Gratitude can have many positive effects on a person’s emotional and mental well-being—from lowering blood pressure and anxiety to reducing the risk of depression, improving sleep, reducing stress, increasing energy, boosting self-care routines, and even enhancing mental health.
Let’s practice this gratitude exercise: Sit quietly for some 30 minutes or so and just thank God for the seemingly little things.
Make this a habit and a lifestyle, and see what it does to your life.
- Joy Mfon Essien is an Entrepreneur and the CEO, of Discover Essence Media, Millionaire Woman Soapworks and Delicioso Foods. Writer, TV presenter and producer, Wellness Coach and mom of two.
