The greatness of gratitude

Overhearing a conversation in the booth behind me at the diner this week…

“What are you doing for Thanksgiving this week?”

“I don’t know, man. I have a couple of invites, but I’m thinking about staying home. Everything just kind of sucks right now, and I’m not really in the mood to do more ‘people’.”

I felt both sides of the conversation as it continued from there, but wasn’t so surprised, as I had heard a similarly voiced set of feelings from a few others as the holidays approached. It felt extra sad that people were having a hard time getting into the spirit of exactly what the upcoming season is about, especially a day this weekend that is all about thanks and gratitude. But it couldn’t be more understandable that when times are feeling their toughest, finding something to be thankful for feels like a stretch.

But that “attitude of gratitude” can be most important when moments feel lowest, and can be as good for you as a working out, a good diet, or getting enough sleep. Feeling thankful for the bright spots around you, and even finding ways to be thankful for the less-bright ones can have a marked effect on your health, well-being, and outlook.

Don’t take my word for it, as I’m not sure I actually have an area of expertise, but the fine folks at some place called the Mayo Clinic (not the condiment-based version) are huge on the idea of gratitude being regular part of your life, and all the benefits it can bring to you. They say that making time to look for the things you’re thankful for helps you hormonally, mentally, emotionally, and even physically over time. That taking time daily to look for what is good out there not only helps you, but raises all boats around you as well. Think of it as being the Nikola Jokic of your own circle.

To that end, and while we come out of a day usually filled with friends, family, football, and tryptophan, maybe Thursday’s day of thanks should be less a once-a-year sort of a a thing, and more the beginning of a daily habit. To look for the good things threaded throughout our days, because any psychologist worth their salt can tell you that motivated perception means that life often tends to show us what we were looking for in the first place. Dedicating ourselves to looking for things to be grateful for just shows us how many there truly are.

By way of motivation, our little Colorado sports corner of the world, provides examples every day of bright spots and joys that can inspire seeing even more. I’m grateful that a couple of the state’s major teams have recently captured championships. Thankful for CSU Rams men’s basketball delivering a win more delicious than a turkey dinner. That CU men’s football is relevant again. That the Broncos have found their way back to .500. That I saw the Rockies play in three different states this season.

I can even find the silver lining in a Nuggets team being so relevant as to worry me after a few middling losses. That Coach Prime is teaching his kids about character after watching their season turn. That maybe the Rockies really can turn it around a after a rock bottom or two. That in the moments of heartache and despair that sports can often bring, there is a life lesson that tomorrow is another day, and you get the glorious opportunity to try again.

I’m thankful for you, whoever you are, that you took a moment to read. I hope that whether you celebrate Thanksgiving or not where you are, that your Thursday brought you a lot to be thankful for. And that you took a moment to see it, feel it, and be thankful for it. Thanks in your heart can be as good as a championship for your favorite team. Here’s hoping that now that our official day of thanks has passed, that you find even more to be thankful for today, and yet again tomorrow and the days after. Wherever you are, whatever you are up to, DNVR Nation…

Thanks.