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Ready or not, it’s that time of year again.

Yup, the craziness of the holiday season is about to make its advent, and yes, Halloween absolutely counts since we all know it’s the true marker for the beginning of the end-of-the-year sprint.

So, maybe, like a lot of folks I know (me included), you might be searching for a kick start way to feeling a little better about your life right now.

And believe it or not, there’s an easy way to do it. 

First, know that there’s no special equipment to buy, and that there isn’t a prescription in the mix either.  Neither will you have to memorize a mantra nor sign up for yoga classes.  There’s not even a special diet on the horizon. As a matter of fact, you won’t need any money at all.  Well, maybe one dollar. 

I’m talking about a gratitude journal.
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Here’s how it works.

Wait until the end of the day, after dinner and after those pesky errands, calls and chores are completed.  Then, right before settling down for the night, park yourself in a comfy spot, grab a piece of paper, or better yet, a small blank journal (here’s where a dollar store comes into play) and pencil or pen.  If at all possible, make sure it’s quiet, too. 
  
Now write down five things that happened that day that you’re grateful for. 

That’s it.

Don’t spend a lot of effort thinking about this daily list.  And, trust me: even in the midst of the utter lunacy of the season, it will be easy to come up with five things.

I know this for sure because I’ve kept this kind of diary, on and off, for nearly two decades, and through a whole lot of ups and downs. My only regret is that I often stop after a few months, and that it’s sometimes a few years before I start up again.

My lists are never very long, and yours needn’t be either.

I’ll put the date first, and then start right in.  Most times, my sentences are about occurrences that happen all of the time.  Things like my car starting right up, or a dog waking me with a big sloppy kiss on the cheek.  Being a confirmed foodie, I’ve also been known to scribble a few words about an amazing recipe I’ve found, or remember a great meal I savored earlier that day.  And sometimes, my gratitude is about stuff that doesn’t happen every day, such as a writing assignment falling into my lap, or finding an old friend on Facebook (especially a fellow clown) who I haven’t talked to in decades.      
 
Here’s the very best reason to keep a gratitude journal.  

It can, literally, change how you feel about yourself and about everything going on around you. 

Somehow—and you’ll need to ask someone else exactly how this works—it magically rewires your brain to make you more grateful for the life you have.

While this positivity doesn’t happen overnight, I’m usually feeling a whole lot lighter, and a whole lot better, about my place in the world less than two weeks after starting one of these diaries.

As it turns out, this is a pretty common consequence.

A quick Google search has an article titled The 31 Benefits of Gratitude You Didn’t Know About: How Gratitude Can Change Your Life.  The piece affirms that nurturing this sort of appreciation not only makes us happier, we also become healthier; our self-esteem increases, and yes, we’ll even want to exercise more. (Check out the entire piece, at http://happierhuman.com/benefits-of-gratitude/).

And while some folks are very good at just hearing about the upside of gratitude and then mindfully and purposefully putting its benefits into action, that has never worked for me. 

Instead, probably because I’m both a visual and kinesthetic learner, I actually need to be looking at something, and then, often writing that something down, before it sticks in my head.  That’s why my gratitude journal, which sits in plain sight on my coffee table, acts as a daily tool to kick the thankfulness gear into motion.

Looking over several pages from the past with the dates right there, it’s also gratifying to see one more thing.  

And that’s this: not only have I come through intact after a whole lot of not-so-terrific stuff life has thrown at me, I’ve always been able to find something, even the smallest thing, to appreciate during those times. 

And at the end of the tunnel, after the tears have dried, I’m usually smiling, too.  And grateful, always grateful.

How about you?  What are you grateful for, and how do you practice gratitude?  I look forward to your comments!
    

There’s probably one in your own neighborhood, or if not, definitely in the next one over.
 
First, ignore the downside.  Yes, they’re known for bad lighting; a funky (although not unpleasant) smell, and more than a teensy bit of disorganization. 

Second, watch your step upon entering.  That’s because, often near a back door, there might be a half dozen paper bags casually stuffed with who-knows-what, waiting to make their way to the Promised Land on the other side. 
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Yup, I’m talking thrift stores.

In this underemployed economy (count me in here, along with everyone else I know), I head to my favorite one once a month.  It’s just a mile away and like so many, run by a local church.

I might leave with a very gently used sweatshirt or hoodie or two.  Maybe a high end nightshirt or dress that, amazingly, fits perfectly.  Perhaps a few pairs of flip flops, which we wear in this part of California in just about every kind of weather.  Oh, and perfect picture frames and fluffy bedtime socks and even a hair blow dryer.  

Lots of times, I’ll find exactly what I came in for, all for a song.

When our high energy dogs do sleep, it’s on garishly colored afghans atop their special beds. And books. Lots of books, particularly children’s books, although sometimes there are stacks of recent New Yorker magazines and classic titles to be had as well.  Open a drawer or two in my kitchen, and you’ll see vintage Pyrex casserole dishes, muffin trays and oodles of wooden spoons, all of which I use, and all of which are thrift store finds.

Of course, it shouldn’t be surprising that clown pals have scored some great loot while on the road. 

One has found heavy-duty storage trunks (a necessity for keeping wardrobe, makeup and props clean and organized), while another has purchased all manner of musical instruments, including steel drums, a concertina and lots of brass horns.  And, perfect for those huge arena audiences, one more circus colleague exited with a black and white plaid dinner jacket sporting a velveteen lapel.

Of course, given that one person’s junk can be another’s treasure, there are those really awesome thrift store finds.

Indeed, the social networking and news website Reddit has its own online bulletin board for bragging about these special hauls.  Recent posts found one member taking home a Wolfgang Puck panini press for $3.99; another buying a dreadful kitten clock so bad that it’s good, and a collegiate fashionista who scored with new boots and a trio of retro dresses, including one for under five dollars. (Check them all out here, at www.reddit.com/r/ThriftStoreHauls/)

If you’re a traveling guy or gal, there are also a number of sites and blogs featuring photos and descriptions of the best thrift stores in the entire country.  It makes sense to have more than a handful of the greatest ones in Portland and Austin, but who would have thought Hawthrone, New Jersey?  Here, fab threads from the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s start at three bucks each—and fill dozens of jumbo cardboard boxes from floor to ceiling.  (Go to http://www.luckyshops.com/slideshow/best-thrift-stores-america?bak=best-thrift-stores-america#slide-1 for more details.)

Yet, it wasn’t until I brought my daughter home that I even thought about entering a thrift store.  

(Although, true story:  years prior to this, I took Marlon Brando’s first wife, Anna Kashfi, out to lunch.  Over fabulous fried chicken, she told me how much she liked thrift stores, and how very disappointed she was that her son Christian hated the idea of shopping at them.)

You see, I had a decent chunk of dough in the bank back then.  But once I discovered the price tag for new baby clothes, and realized my child would be growing out of them in a hurry—the topper was two weeks—it seemed not just wasteful, but silly, to buy brand new duds.  I was living in West Hollywood at that time, yet soon found myself driving to a small consignment store in Burbank, geared toward the littlest among us.

Without realizing it, I was ahead of the curve.

In fact, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2012 saw more than 17,000 of these storefronts dotting the United Sates, and that same year, they employed more than 145,000 people.  In five years, it’s estimated that about 175,000 folks will receive a regular paycheck from one of these enterprises.  (Let me do the math for you: that’s a 20 percent jump.)  Given these numbers, it’s no surprise that some of the bigger thrift chains, such as Goodwill Industries, rake in more than $1 billion—yes, that’s the letter B—in annual sales. 

Here’s more: a USA Today feature from three years ago reports that a full 20 percent of our population regularly cruise thrift store aisles.   One of those persons quoted is a homemaker in upscale Sebastopol, California, who says that 95 percent of her household items have come from her three-times-a-week shopping excursions to these stores.  Another shopper, a 30something freelance writer based in New York City, says that trolling thrift store aisles allows her to dress like other women in her office without breaking the bank.  (Here’s the entire article:  http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/money/industries/retail/story/2012-07-05/thrift-shopping-trend/56037332/1) 

But let’s face it: unless you’re a many-times-per-month thrift store consumer, and/or cruise around our 50 states looking for the place that suits you best, you may not find quite as many cool items as those who post on Reddit. 

But really, does that even matter?   For me, just wandering through one of these establishments—whether it’s my tried and true standby, or one I’ve stumbled upon in another town—and then being open to what I might find, is often a lot more entertaining than limiting my options before even walking in the door.    

Especially when you understand this simple fact: there’s always hidden booty to discover.  If you don’t find whatever that may be to you at one store, go to another, and if not on that visit, try another.

Because once you’re hooked, you’ll know, for sure, that thrift stores really are today’s Everywhere, Every Day, Treasure Hunt Store. 
 
What treasures have you brought home from a thrift store?   I look forward to hearing about your finds!