Let’s be honest. On the surface, 2020 has not offered up much to be thankful for. There’s been loss at every turn, whether it’s been loss of work or someone you love. Things that affect us deeply yet we are still required to keep pushing forward. It’s completely fine to admit that many of us are running on empty at this point in the year. So, how do we do it? Live from a place of Thanksgiving. The truth is Thanksgiving is more than a season or a holiday that we observe at the end of November. It is a posture, a way in which we choose to live our lives. It is what can propel us forward and push us out of the downward spiral that all of us will at some point find ourselves walking through. Thanksgiving is an intentional, daily act that requires us to stop and recognize the things that we are blessed with inspite of current circumstances.
I’m the first to admit it’s not easy to make the choice to be thankful when it seems that nothing is going in the right direction. This year has made it especially difficult to do. My advice, start small. Make a mental note about something you’ve been able to accomplish.
- Finished that task at work ✓
- Dropped the kids off on time ✓
- Cooked dinner ✓
- Called a friend or family member ✓
Little things matter and there are still days where I struggle to find one little thing to be grateful for. Create the habit for yourself. Practicing gratitude is not for other people. It is to train your heart and your mind to reach for the good first. The less favorable parts of life will always show up. Living from a place of thanksgiving gives us the power to shape our days in the worst of times. We will never be short of the peace that comes from knowing there is always something to be grateful for when we can readily pull them from memory. Don’t worry, it doesn’t have to be a huge task! Just a few minutes at some point in your day. I use this gratitude journal ( linked here if you’d like to purchase a copy) . It’s small enough to drop in your bag or carry by hand, weekly inspirational quotes, short (three point) daily writing space and end of week reflection. A few things I’m grateful for this today are: 1. quiet spaces, 2. hot tea, 3. Louisiana winter (don’t judge me, I do not like to be cold). Friends, you will love how much the simple practice of living from a place of thanksgiving will cause you to truly live in the moment – and that alone is priceless. Let yourself off the hook for everything that 2020 is NOT and tap into what’s deeper than what we see on the surface. Happy Thanksgiving!
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