Attitude of Gratitude

In the spirit of the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, this week’s post is on the subject of gratitude. I know the words “grateful”, “thankful”, and “appreciative” are tossed around often, but have you taken the time to think about what you are truly grateful for?

I have always considered myself a grateful person, but after the past three years, I had to reevaluate and make a conscious effort to focus on what I am grateful for and how to remain in a positive mindset. To say leaving a comfy, stable, and high-paying corporate career was hard is an understatement. I felt a tremendous amount of fear, anxiety, angst, and frustration when I decided to become an independent wealth advisor. Yes, the idea of being my own boss and a financial steward to my clients made me excited and energized, yet I had many sleepless nights and a lot of stress about not bringing in an income, paying private insurance, and providing for my family. In order to not feel resentment, anger, and burnout, I had to change my mindset to one of gratitude.

How I’m Intentional with Gratitude

Journaling – I scribble and write down my daily reflections of gratitude. It may be only for a few seconds or an hour.

Meditation – I do this first thing every morning. It calms my mind and body for the day.

Visualization – After meditating, I visualize what I am grateful for in that moment.

Exercising – I need to exercise to fuel my soul and feel those good endorphins.

Coaching – I have been coaching youth sports for over five years, and I always leave a practice or game feeling grateful to have spent time with my sons while also giving back to others through my love of sports.

How an Attitude of Gratitude Has Helped

Security – Building a business takes time, money, patience and humility. My family had to change the way we saved and spent money, and it was a major lifestyle change for us. As I became more grateful for how our short-term sacrifices would benefit my family in the long-term and how they could help deepen my client relationships, it eased my stress and frustration levels.

Appreciation – The old saying, “Time is the most valuable thing a man can spend,” rings true to me. I spend an incredible amount of time working, and while I appreciate this entrepreneurial journey, I am more aware that time is a gift. It is a gift when I spend quality time with my family, connect with colleagues, meet new people, or grab a drink with some friends. Their time is a gift I am incredibly grateful for.

Opportunities – A grateful mindset allows me to be my best self when the opportunity arises to meet or reconnect with people or to continue to learn and grow. This mindset has ultimately opened more doors for me both professionally and personally.

Authenticity – It is easy to compare yourself to others, but I try to remain grateful for my own strengths and weaknesses. I am grateful to continue my personal journey of authenticity.

Forgiveness – In both my personal and professional life, there have been times when I have been wronged. Often, it is due to my own trusting nature, but it still stings. Rather than carry all the sadness, frustration, and anger that stems from these situations, I find gratitude and growth from my experiences – which is hard and takes time. From this gratitude grows forgiveness – the ultimate gift to yourself.

It is not realistic to feel grateful every single day. Some days are better than others, and when you have a bad day, you have a bad day. The important part for me is to find a silver lining a few days, months or even years down the road on those particularly trying times. The last two years of my entrepreneurial journey has brought me great joy and challenges, and I am forever grateful to my family, friends, mentors, and colleagues that keep cheering me on.

In addition, JP Williams is the Founder of Pillar Wealth Group who lives and works near Columbus, Ohio. JP founded Pillar Wealth Group with over 17 years of experience and specializes in financial planning, retirement planning, investment management, risk management, college planning, and estate planning. Contact us today to get started with your financial wellness journey. Contact us today to schedule an introductory meeting!