Monday 25 November 2013

This week: being thankful

As my American readers will know only too well, Thursday of this week is Thanksgiving. It has become an adopted annual celebration for me, with my other half being American. Last year I wrote about it too, with a focus on the food side of things. I also mentioned how touching it was getting to listen to our son tell us for the first time what he was thankful for.

This year in writing about it, I am focusing more on the 'thanks' in Thanksgiving. It is a time when we 'officially' stop and think about what we are thankful for and that is something I have been thinking a lot about during recent weeks. Feelings of gratitude are well-linked to feelings of happiness and indeed, some people recommend writing or sharing aloud one or two things they are grateful for at the end of each day. It is undoubtedly a good exercise.

Since joining Twitter, I discovered a nightly, 'Be positive before bed' time, when people tweet something positive from their day. I was trying to join in fairly frequently but have not done so recently. Some days it is hard to pick out something good from everything that has happened and when you're feeling like it's been a tough day. However, those days are probably exactly the days when we should force ourselves to identify at least one thing that we are thankful for!

An old post on one of the blogs I enjoy reading, The Happiness Project, provides four questions to ask yourself, to help boost your feelings of gratitude. It is a good starting point if you feel unsure of where to start in thinking of what you are thankful for. Often the little things and often the things we take for granted are ultimately the linchpin to our happiness and so it really is important to stop and think about those things and recognise how crucial they are to us.

I shared a couple of things I am thankful for in my post from last week. I would love to hear some of yours (please don't be shy!). Do you regularly take a moment to contemplate your sources of gratitude or is it something you rarely think to do?
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4 comments:

  1. What a lovely post and a good reminder for me. I used to take part in the Reasons to be Cheerful (or thankful) linky. It really would help for me to find three things that I was thankful for amidst the race and rush of life. I have fallen out of practice with this, though, and so your lovely words have served as a kind reminder to me.
    Today I am thankful for a big soft bed into which I can fall shortly. I know that many around the world won't be so comfortable tonight, so I shan't take it for granted. xx

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    1. Thank you for your comment and a big soft bed is definitely something to be thankful for! xx

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  2. Over the last few months I've developed a joy practice, which is the same as your gratitude practice. Before bed, I ask myself what brought me joy during the day. I love the concept of joy; it's deeper than happiness and is definitely present even on the gloomiest day. A hug from a child, a blessed memory, a walk surrounded by beauty, a lovely surprise, The list is long. Yes, let's be thankful every single day. And if there's nothing else, be thankful for breathing and having another shot at getting it right and joyful. :)

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    1. That sounds like a very beneficial way to end each day and I like your choice of word, 'joy'. It is especially good to remind ourselves of something positive on those gloomy days you mention, so a great idea!

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Thank you for reading. I'd love to have your comments and thoughts!