From the Archives of TGIF 2 Minutes… with an addition on hopefulness.
Bottom line: Being Thankful, Grateful and Hopeful are all positive things.
Simply saying “Thank you” out loud is hard to do without smiling either inwardly or outwardly. Try it! Then say, “I am grateful for X” and it likely brings an even deeper feeling. Perhaps that is why gratitude is central to the science of happiness –yes, there is a whole branch of science around happiness. The newer science around hope is equally, if not more, powerful!
In researching the concepts, I found:
- Thankfulness includes being simply “conscious of benefits received”,
- Gratefulness involving a deeper “[appreciation] for benefits received”.
Relating these feelings to our financial lives, knowing what we are truly grateful for can aid in long-term financial planning. Think: House, geography, job, savings, children (or not), friends, travel, lifestyle.
Then, there may be times when neither thankfulness nor gratefulness is present. That is where the concept of HOPE comes in. Hope often springs from a negative event – or events – and leads to positive energy, goal-setting, and better outcomes.
Consider the following quote on hope from the late author, John Berger:
- “Hope is not a form of guarantee; it’s a form of energy, and very frequently that energy is strongest in circumstances that are… dark.”
If the past two years have shown us anything, it has been dark circumstances and severe life and financial challenges. BUT – and here is where hope comes in – despite the challenges there has been progress made by those who have channeled energy to goal-setting, saving, strategic lifestyle changes, and gaining knowledge about how to structure a more secure financial future.
Relating these concepts to the upcoming holiday, Thanksgiving is dedicated to thankfulness, gratefulness, and, yes, hope. Thanksgiving extends over the weekend with enlightened companies giving their people an extra day off on the Friday. Use this positive energy to propel you in planning and in life.
I am grateful to my clients who place their trust in me to give them advice regarding their biggest personal and business decisions. I am grateful to YOU, my loyal readers of TGIF 2 Minutes. I am grateful to my family for their love and unending patience. And based on the lives of my clients, colleagues, and friends I am hopeful for continued progress and achievement of short-, intermediate-, and long-term goals.
Thank you for reading, Happy Thanksgiving and TGIF!