A Different Take On Giving Thanks

My email inbox has been bombarded over the last few days with messages about gratitude, giving thanks, abundance and the importance of giving back. While I appreciate the friendly reminders and realize that there is never any harm in sharing positive and inspiring wisdom, I wonder if encouraging people to practice gratitude during the Thanksgiving holiday isn’t redundant. Thanksgiving is one of the few times of year where people feel and intrinsic motivation to give back and to take a moment to reflect on their good fortune. Volunteer opportunities on Thanksgiving are maxed out showing us that this is the one holiday that really brings out the altruism in our society. Is this really a time where we need to be reminded, or is it the one time of year that our humaneness shines without any buffing?

My message for this traditional American holiday is definitely in line with the ones I’ve been receiving from friends, colleagues and strangers alike. However, I have found that the greatest benefits of practicing gratitude come at a time when we feel the least grateful. Death, divorce, illness, heartbreak and other forms of loss present a period of time where shifting perspective and focusing on the good and plenty in one’s life can have a massive impact. Unfortunately, many of these types of loss are unpredictable, leaving people unprepared to deal with the pain. Just like going to the gym and getting regular checkups helps you maintain your health and wellbeing, making gratitude a part of your daily life, all year long, will build resilience and sustain you through the more challenging times. Gratitude can lead to feelings of love, appreciation, generosity and compassion, which further open our hearts and help rewire our brains to fire in more positive ways.

“He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.” – Epictetus

Use Thanksgiving as a starting point, not a stopping point, for implementing an ongoing sense of gratefulness in your life. Use the holiday to kick-start a new attitude as you set the tone for the rest of the year and beyond. You don’t need a feast to remind you of all that you have. You simply need a daily “note to self” about what makes your life fulfilling and joyful.

Practice: Set an intention for practicing gratitude every day for the next year. Get yourself a gratitude journal, and kick it off on Thursday.