on November 23, 2021
Tis the season to be grateful! Even those who are going through a rough patch can find positive aspects in life if they choose to look for them. Be thankful for uplifting friends, kind gestures from strangers, the food on your table, the car in your garage. Be thankful for your skills or your health—whatever is going well or makes you happy. This attitude will not only carry you through the dark winter months, but also help you keep going through the rest of the year and into the future.
Although it is possible to find gratitude in life, no matter your situation, it is easier to be thankful when you’re striving for Self-Wealth. Self-Wealth is a concept I created when I wrote my book: Self-Wealth: A simple, conscious path to a comfortable financial future. Self-Wealth is comprised of three main components: Purpose, Security, and Hope.
Purpose
Purpose relates to your life’s goals and intentions. What energizes or excites you? How do you see yourself making a difference? For some people (like me!), Purpose is closely tied to their job. If someone perceives the work they do as meaningful, that’s Purpose! For others, Purpose is achieved through other activities, such as volunteering, creating art, belonging to a club or committee, raising a family, etc.
If you know your main Purpose and point yourself in that direction, you can wake up every morning and feel grateful for your path. If you haven’t yet identified your Purpose, I challenge you to take a few minutes to think about what you love to do and what feels meaningful to you. How can you incorporate those things into your life?
Security
The second part of Self-Wealth is Security. Although having financial security isn’t all there is in life, it is more than “nice to have.” It’s necessary. If you’re constantly worried about money, life will be more stressful and more difficult. You won’t be able to relax and enjoy life to its fullest. On the other hand, when you are financially secure, with investments that make sense and a sufficient emergency fund, you will be able to take charge and relax (instead of letting money control you). Financial security is certainly something to be grateful for.
Hope
Hope involves having a long-term vision for the future. It means setting goals (big or small) and working toward them. When you have Hope, you recognize that no problem is too big to solve. You take on an attitude of optimism and strive to do better and make positive changes. The world is a better place when we have Hope—when we get up in the morning and try our best. Be grateful for Hope and the opportunities you perceive in the future! These are the little motivators that keep all of us going.
This Thanksgiving, I’m certain you have much to be thankful for. And if you feel like life is less than optimal right now, you can always strive to make changes in the areas of Purpose, Security, and Hope.