Most people take an opportunity on Thanksgiving to gather hands around the table and herald their gratitude for all things obvious – from good health to loving family and friends. These expected pillars – health and love – are essential to acknowledge but can become a bit of a conditioned, memorized routine at the holiday dinner table when true appreciation often slips through the cracks like a slotted spoon of gravy. So, how do you begin to value and acknowledge it all and really mean it? Try these three tips:
Be Specific
Instead of saying “ I am grateful for our health” try finding particular points that you can focus on. Like, “I’m grateful for my husband’s strong and able body that ran a marathon this year”. I am grateful that my blood work is in the normal range, that my daughter only needed stiches when she fell, that Pop Pop is still thriving and working everyday…” you get the point.
Go Beyond Yourself
Now that you’ve addressed some detailed points in your life that you are truly grateful for, go beyond your own life and look at your immediate community, your country, your planet. When you zoom out to the bigger picture, your own issues seem even more insignificant. Global appreciation begets a deeper, richer nuance of gratitude and reminds us we are all connected.
Thank Your Home
Many people leave this one out of the invocation equation and it’s important not to dismiss it. Your home is the intimate environment you have created and is a pure reflection of your state of mind. By thanking the physical structure that protects self and belongings you are energetically imbuing a matrix of gratitude in your surroundings. A home that is acknowledge and loved feels better than one that is not.
Happy Thanksgiving. I am grateful to YOU for reading this.
xo.
L.
