Being Thankful
Hello, I hope that you had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. We spent it with family and friends. My Mom did a great job of maintaining a Thanksgiving tradition for years, and now it's our turn.
I sometimes get asked how I stay positive. There are a few things I try to do. Exercise. Spend time outdoors. Reading and writing.
One other thing – which is very appropriate for the season – is being grateful. “Science shows that expressing gratitude is one of the best things we can do for our own happiness,” says Rajiv Satyal, a comedian and public speaker I interview on the podcast this week.
“Every day I jot down a few things I’m grateful for that day. It could be something as simple as a free pizza I got. And then I express it either in writing or as part of a dinner toast.” Rajiv’s technique is a bit different than mine; I have a file on my phone with the big things: my parents are still with us and healthy, my family is doing well, etc. Rajiv goes with the little things instead of the big things. It turns out they both work.
One reason I wanted to talk to Rajiv is that these are kind of depressing times. Heck, even the holiday season is depressing for many as it gets colder and the sun isn’t out as much. We can all use a little bit of happiness nudging.
In addition to gratitude, Rajiv has a number of other techniques. “Don’t try to measure your progress so often. A lot of the time you’re in a plateau. A plateau can last for a while and then you level up. One day is definitely too short. One week or one month might also be too short. Now, if you don’t make progress in six months, that’s another story.”
Rajiv also says to define yourself and your activity accurately. “Look, I’m a comedian. I can be a comedian whether a certain joke worked or not, or a certain concept worked, I’m still working it out. If I define myself by what the market is saying or how much I made in a particular period, then I might think of myself a different way. Define yourself in a way that gives you the ability to grow.”
Rajiv is a very positive guy. “Out of 64 people in that first comedy competition that I won, I might be the only one who is still onstage.” But he also remembers giving someone some very unusual advice. “There was another comedian, I told him to quit. And it wasn’t because he wasn’t funny. The problem is he was getting less funny. You could tell. When that’s your trend, you should probably rethink your line of work. I saw him years later and he pulled me aside and said, ‘Thank you, you’re the only one who would tell me.’” Sometimes being positive means letting it go.
For my convo with Rajiv, click here. Find things to be grateful for. Happy Holidays and let the people in your life know how much they mean to you!
