Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough. – Oprah Winfrey
Thanksgiving is almost here! While it is not a holiday in England, my childhood home, I appreciate this national celebration and the importance of giving thanks and being grateful.
Here are three ways to grow gratitude:
Focus on kindness
The local supermarket already feels the pressure of holiday shoppers. Long lines, full parking lots and exhausted shoppers can be wearing. Despite handling umpteen food items and impatient shoppers, a checkout clerk is still able to sincerely wish me a happy Thanksgiving. Where will I put my focus?
Be grateful for what you have
Waking up with a plateful of worries? One way to deflate them is to go through a mental checklist of what you can be grateful for right now, and keep adding to it until you feel some release from the overwhelm. If this is particularly challenging, you may begin by being grateful for your eyes that can see the light of a new day, and your hands that can reach out lovingly.
Reach out to friends and family
We will spend this holiday with some of our family of three grandchildren living 190 miles away. Ours is an age when family members often live far from home. Ditto for life-long friends. Yet long distances shrink with the blessing of technical connectivity. How special it is to see and speak with each other - in real time - by touching a couple of buttons!
Thanksgiving is a wonderful opportunity to appreciate every blessing. As Oprah suggests, gratitude can help nurture us throughout the rest of the year!