Five Reasons Physicians Should Be Grateful

Happy Thanksgiving to all of the readers, writers, and staff of Physicians Practice's blog: Practice Notes! My blogging day has always been on Thursdays, which luckily means that I get an official day to express and talk about gratitude.

Gratitude is not just about the attitude you have, it is something tangible - it is a practice, and a state of being. Gratitude is made tangible when it becomes a daily practice, and when you practice gratitude, a transformation takes place. Suddenly you go through your day looking for the ordinary things that you are grateful for.

Let's apply that to medical practices. Here are a few of the things practices can be grateful for:

• Technology. Seriously, people ask if magic is real, but if you showed your iPad or smartphone to someone in the 1930s they would say they're pretty magical. Not to mention all of the medical technology available at the touch of a button.

• Patients. Even the ones that are stubborn or a pain. They are the reason you have a practice.

• Colleagues. Some may be competition, some may be genuine friends, but your community of medical practitioners and providers help you with call, refer patients back and forth, and generally help your community.

• Staff. The people who feel your practice and mission are so important that they spend time away from their families to help make you a success.

• Resources. Expert opinions and educational presentations from Physicians Practice - the journal and website - and their associates; what a wonderful blessing.

Researcher Brene Brown, PhD, says "It is not joy that makes us grateful, but gratitude that makes us joyful." Practicing gratitude and being in the state of gratitude means that every "problem" you encounter is not a problem, but an opportunity to learn and grow.

There are so many rewards that come from being in a state of gratitude, not just on Thanksgiving but also through a daily practice of gratitude. The big one is joy - Joy in your heart, in your home, in the eyes of your family, and at work. You will see increased productivity, improved behavior, and a more creative outlook; the results are really limitless and abundant.