The Magic of Gratitude
Every year on the fourth Thursday in November, Americans celebrate Thanksgiving Day. It is a special day where we give thanks for the people we have in our lives and for what we have. It is a day of gratitude and love. It is a day of bounty and enjoying a sumptuous meal with family and friends.
What would your life be like if you made a conscious effort to experience gratitude each and every day? Why not give thanks every day of the year, in addition to the fourth Thursday in November? Take a moment and try this experiment:
Look around you. Be sure and notice all the imperfections. From right where you are sitting: look for the dirt, the disorder and dust. See all the things that need cleaning, repairing and replacing. Is the furniture you are sitting on old and run down? Is your computer not as fast as you would like it to be? Do you have a ton of time consuming e-mails that need answering? Is there a stack of bills waiting for you to pay them? Are you surrounded by clutter and chaos? If you are at work, are you under a deadline and stressed? Is there not enough time in the day for you to complete all the items on today's "to-do" list?
Take a moment and check in with how you are feeling and how your body is responding as you connect to what is wrong or missing in your world. Notice your breathing. Are your breaths short and shallow? Is your heart racing?
Now, look around and see the same area you just surveyed and find THE GOOD. If you are sitting in a chair, is it more comfortable than sitting on the floor? Do you have people in your life that care enough about you to send you e-mails in the first place? Yes, even those annoying forwarded jokes, chain letters or angels made out of plus and minus signs.
Look at the other objects around you may be taking for granted: the light at your desk that allows you to see, the window that brings sunlight into the room, the room you sit in that shelters you from the elements, the computer that gives you a window to the world, the telephone that connects you to other people.
Are there things around you that give you pleasure to look at? Do you have a picture of a loved one near you or a photo of a wonderful sight you saw while on vacation? Is there a painting or poster that you enjoy looking at? When was the last time you really saw it? When was the last time you took a moment to appreciate colors?
Take a moment and check in with how you are feeling and how your body is responding as you connect with what is good and beautiful around you. Take a deep full breath and let yourself settle into a state of thankfulness.
When you focus on what is lacking or missing in your life you tap into scarcity and deprivation. When you focus on what you have, who is in your life and what is in your life, you tap into abundance and satisfaction. Each day is full of opportunities - for growth, for learning, for connection. Each day can be a gift. And each day we can give the gifts of love, compassion, service and laughter.
I am not suggesting that you deny the reality of your circumstances. I am suggesting a shift in perspective. Choose to see what is, rather than what isn't in your life. Yes, a glass can be half empty. The glass can also be half full.
Why not give thanks every day of the year, in addition to the fourth Thursday in November? Are you grateful for all the moments of your life? What gifts of learning does each day offer you? Do you take the time to focus on gratitude for who and what you have in your life? Or do you focus on what you want, don't have and is missing for you? What gifts have been given to you in this day? And what gifts (love, compassion, service, laughter) have you given to others?
Here's a simple principle: The more you give thanks for what you have, the more you'll have to be thankful for.
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