November 26, 2020
Reflection: Thoughts lead to feelings lead to actions lead to well-being.
Today, I'm grateful for: Time with loved ones.
Challenge: Take time to appreciate what's in front of you.
Happy Thanksgiving! The official kickoff to the holiday season, or, as Andy Williams calls it, the most wonderful time of the year. Thanksgiving seems like a perfect time to express gratitude. But that got me thinking...what's the difference between being thankful vs being grateful? According to Oxford dictionary:
The word thankful is defined as “pleased and relieved.” The word grateful is defined as “showing an appreciation of kindness."
The difference lies in the fact that being thankful is a feeling, while being grateful is an action. This isn't necessarily lifechanging news, but I think it offers an opportunity to unpack an interesting mindfulness concept that can empower us to leverage thoughts and feelings to influence our behavior and well-being. Specifically, the concept argues the idea that we can reprogram our brains through our thoughts.
I believe this a strong factor behind the peace that comes as a result of a gratitude practice. Instead of letting my mind wander to the negative, and all that is wrong in the world, I focus on the good, which ultimately influences my feelings, behaviors and overall well-being. That's not to discount the reality of things that are not good. But it's also not to underappreciate the things that are. And I think as humans, we so naturally focus on the negative, which is why it takes that conscious effort....That ACTION to really appreciate the good that's right in front of us. If this pandemic has taught us anything, it's how quickly we forget how good we have it until we don't.
Today, I am grateful for many things. Time with my closest family. A hot meal shared with loved ones. And the opportunity to build memories that we'll cherish forever. Despite the fact that Thanksgiving looks a bit different this year, there's still so much to be grateful for in this season.
Cheers to you and yours this Thanksgiving.
XO
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