For people who are brought up in the church, most of them are told to give thanks, say grace or in some way show appreciation to god or the universe. “Let us give thanks…thank you for this bountiful blessing that has been laid before us…” Yet, during the day to day practices, people often are not only not showing gratitude for the abundance that life has to offer, but the belief that one deserves everything they want, just because they want it.
Why is Thanksgiving only a one day Holiday?
Many of us get stuck in the daily “Grind” or routine. We get up only out of habit, not because we are enjoying getting up and celebrating the opportunity we have to create new experiences in the niche of our life. It’s sad that so many will ignore the opportunities they have until in some cases a near-death experience changes their outlook. Some people who do live in the moment encourage people to live as if it’s their last 30 days to live… Live life to the fullest, etc.
Thanksgiving is only one day a year, so I encourage people to send thank you cards for Thanksgiving, and truly experience the holiday. I say we should be grateful for every day, instead of just one day a year. But, if we are restricted to one day a year, the best way to show gratitude is to share abundance with others on this day. I know many people who invite lonely neighbors and bring food to others who won’t otherwise get to celebrate. When I was in college friends would fight over who got to have me for their dinner. In one case 3 groups of people rescheduled their eating times so I could participate. I was and am very blessed and I’m very grateful for it.
The Real Givers:
Tony Robbins has a foundation that gives thousands of Thanks Giving dinners to family’s that couldn’t otherwise afford them. For that, I commend him as he embraces the true spirit of Thanksgiving. However, I wish to shine a light on the unsung heroes that bring Thanksgiving dinners to the homeless and to people at their local community centers.
Believe it or not, there is a trend of people going to homeless shelters and opening doors of local churches and community centers and inviting homeless to eat Thanks Giving with them. Furthermore, those people actually supply and cook the food. Even more exciting is that is has spread into Christmas Day as well as Easter Sunday. What a great way to show the spirit of giving on Thanksgiving.
Being Thankful every day:
Daily Gratitude journals are amazing. It allows the user to shift their emotional mindset into a position of being grateful. I spend most of my day shifting into gratitude, but when I put it to paper, I feel like it’s somehow more real. My experience is that at least 3-5 things every day written down, and how the journal entry makes me feel. They may be as short as a couple of sentences and others will extend into pages. I don’t bother to date mine as the content is green, and I sometimes repeat what I’ve already written. I don’t hold any judgment as to how I feel at the time as long as it’s positive I feel that it’s great. I am grateful for everything in my life, from amazing beach scenes, experiences, police officers, and even the construction workers who built the roads that allow me to travel in my car for which I’m also grateful. Gratitude feeds the universe and makes you feel great as well.
Being Grateful every day should never be underestimated. Using Thanks Giving as an excuse to get together with friends and family or sending Thank You cards to your Christmas Card list can really let people know how important they are to you. Using a gratitude journal and writing at least 3-5 items into it can really change the way you reflect your life. Positive feelings of gratitude not only feeds the universe and brings more blessings to you, the positive emotional experience will also allow you to feel more fulfilled in your own life.
– J –