Thanksgiving is in two weeks to be exact. It feels as if it has come too soon. November has flown and here we are once again all gathering around to give thanks for all that we have. Whether we go to our families or not, whether we choose to eat bountifully or not, one thing each of us will do in our own simple way - which is give thanks. Give thanks for what? For this life. This life that has been given to us and we continue to live each day is precious because it is ours to live. And we are able to make it through another day and for that we give thanks. We give thanks for the many wonderful surprises that have come our way. We give thanks for the not so many wonderful surprises and for the work that is never ending and keeping us on our toes. For in this too there is a meaning. We give thanks for food that sustains us and keeps us whole. We give thanks for our jobs if we have one, and if we don't have a job, we still give thanks for surviving without one -for there is a meaning of mercy behind that too. We must give thanks for being able to eat, breathe this air, and be with our loved ones. We give thanks for our health and that we are healthy, and for those of us struggling with a medical/health issue, we also give thanks for the support we receive from our loved ones, for the medical care we are receiving and the message that this illness may bring in order for us to make some lifestyle changes. We give thanks for our friends who will be the ear we need when we are almost at our wits ends. We give thanks for our sibllings, cousins who make us laugh and understand the craziness in us - because we are family. We give thanks for our parents - they gave us life, and provided for us to the best that we can. We give thanks to our grandparents who have created a tradition for us and a sense of history. We give thanks for the things we take for granted that we see everyday before our eyes -the beauty that we see, the people in our lives - the joy and sadness both in our lives. We give thanks for our partners, spouses, significant others without whom we would not know ourselves better and who accept us for who we are fully. And last but not least, we give thanks to the ones we have lost -for having known them, for having them be such a big part of our life, and for creating an imprint. We celebrate them and we give thanks for their presence. We give thanks to so much more. But more than anything, we give thanks to the Higher Power that sustains us, protects us, and loves us unconditionally.
While it is not Thanksgiving day yet, what I want to stress with this is the idea of gratitude and what this can do for us. And for the next two weeks begin to think of the little things that you are thankful for, and begin to notice your mood, your energy, your optimum well being. The idea of gratitude only on thanksgiving day needs to extend beyond that day. By being grateful, we begin to expand beyond ourselves, we begin to understand other human beings, and begin to look at things without taking it personally. Oprah Winfrey stresses the importance of a Gratitude Journal. A Gratitude Journal will make you perceive whatever difficulty that comes to you in a larger context. It will give you the motivation to face whatever you face calmly and without fear. It will help you look at what is really important in life and it will set your priorities straight. What you once thought was important may not be as important back than and you come out a different person.
As we begin to prepare for this annual tradition, let us look at the deeper meaning behind this holiday - the values, the togetherness, the community, and more than anything the ideal of living in gratitude each day. For those of you who want to join me, I will be posting a Journaling Prompt each day through Thanksgiving that can deepen your sense of gratitude. I will be posting it daily through The Journal Seeker and on my Facebook page. I hope you join me, or better yet, think of your own prompts that can deepen this practice of gratitude.
Journal Prompt: Write your own Gratitude Poem beginning with the line:
I GIVE THANKS TO.............
Happy Journaling!
While it is not Thanksgiving day yet, what I want to stress with this is the idea of gratitude and what this can do for us. And for the next two weeks begin to think of the little things that you are thankful for, and begin to notice your mood, your energy, your optimum well being. The idea of gratitude only on thanksgiving day needs to extend beyond that day. By being grateful, we begin to expand beyond ourselves, we begin to understand other human beings, and begin to look at things without taking it personally. Oprah Winfrey stresses the importance of a Gratitude Journal. A Gratitude Journal will make you perceive whatever difficulty that comes to you in a larger context. It will give you the motivation to face whatever you face calmly and without fear. It will help you look at what is really important in life and it will set your priorities straight. What you once thought was important may not be as important back than and you come out a different person.
As we begin to prepare for this annual tradition, let us look at the deeper meaning behind this holiday - the values, the togetherness, the community, and more than anything the ideal of living in gratitude each day. For those of you who want to join me, I will be posting a Journaling Prompt each day through Thanksgiving that can deepen your sense of gratitude. I will be posting it daily through The Journal Seeker and on my Facebook page. I hope you join me, or better yet, think of your own prompts that can deepen this practice of gratitude.
Journal Prompt: Write your own Gratitude Poem beginning with the line:
I GIVE THANKS TO.............
Happy Journaling!
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