Anyone feel unprepared for Thanksgiving?  Other than COVID restrictions, Thanksgiving might be exactly what we need. 

We might be feeling unprepared because its not going to look or feel like past years (and that sucks), or maybe the stress of COVID has successfully take joyful feelings away (and that sucks too).  Maybe on top of COVID, life is throwing a few harsh experiences your way (that really sucks). 

Why might we need Thanksgiving?

Not referring to the turkey or the extra day away from the office (if that is your story), the reference is to what OPPORTUNITY Thanksgiving brings.

The opportunity presenting itself is the opportunity to Take a STOP.  Take a BREATH.  Take a MOMENT.

Breathe it in, GRATITUDE.  Breathe it out GRATITUDE.

The opportunity to take a moment and deliberately focus on finding gratitude is a gift.  Gratitude is an emotional muscle.  The more we use it the stronger it gets.  The stronger it is, the more readily available to us.

Living in gratitude is not living with your head in the sand.  All is not rosy.  Not for any of us.  We don’t want to neglect the important feelings of sadness, remorse, confusion.  But we want to ensure we temper those other emotions with a practice of focusing on the good. 

Focus on what’s missing or how you’ve been wronged

you’ll live as a hostage to self-pity, blame and bitterness.

Focus on what you cannot control,

you’ll live in a state of powerlessness.

Focus on all the potential dangers

you’ll be captive to worry and fear.

You can’t be worried and grateful at the same time

Here’s the Opportunity.  Go outside.  Sit on a bench, chair, stump whatever.  Close your eyes.  Feel the wind, feel the rain or the sun, hear the birds or the cars.  Focus on each on separately.  Breathe in and breathe out. 

Know what that means……You’re Here.  With every moment you are here, is a moment where you have opportunity.  Opportunity for change, for happiness, for self care, for caring for others.  That’s what being here has provided you with.  The yet to be discovered opportunity of being HERE.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone.  Peace, Joy, Health