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Thanksgiving
Posted on October 12th, 2009 7 comments
Happy Thanksgiving to all of my readers who happen to celebrate this holiday. I was inspired to read the post, Thank You on Gail Vaz-Oxlade’s blog today. I’ve always believed that being grateful for what you have and being cognizant of all the little ways in which we are blessed, are important steps to having a happy life. And while I’ve often mentioned that being mindful and grateful is important for those living on a budget (because it’s too easy to feel deprived by focusing on what you don’t have,) it’s just as important for those who have everything. After all, it’s easy for all of us to forget about how lucky we are, go on auto-pilot, and focus on everything that seems to be going wrong in our lives.
Making time to take pleasure in simple moments and focus on the abundance around us is a wonderful practice, one that has been my main focus since my break-up with my partner. But it’s easy to diverge from this plan, the more busy we get. It’s obvious to me now that there are triggers that cause me to fall off track from being grateful and mindful. Comparing myself to others, focusing on what other people have, and thinking about where I thought I would be (as opposed to where I am) can quickly divert my focus and change my mood. Conversely, practicing mindfulness and gratitude make me feel present, empowered and fulfilled. The key, I think, is not to wait until we feel that life has given us exactly what we want. The key is to seek out beauty, kindness and moments of peace even amidst chaos, and practice gratitude for tiny instances which ordinarily go unnoticed, like our breath, the air, the fact that the sun rose and the sky didn’t fall. A cup of coffee, a green traffic light, the sound of a friend’s voice: big or small, these little moments make up our lives. In fact, when you start paying attention, it seems that there hundreds or even thousands of little miracles that happen every day, which may be worth some quiet celebration.
What are you grateful for today?
7 responses to “Thanksgiving”
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anostrichnamedsam October 12th, 2009 at 17:20
I’m thankful I didn’t get a speeding ticket yesterday!
I’m also thankful for my DD and just being able to enjoy what I have.
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Happy Thanksgiving. I am thankful to have a job, my health, my family’s good health, a roof over my head, food on the table, and perserverence that I will one day become debt free.
Enjoy your wonderful Holiday today with all that yummy food!
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Today I am grateful for pumpkin pie. I really do love pumpkin pie. You can’t beat pumpkin for frugal, flavourful, seasonal cooking.
Happy Thanksgiving!
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Happy Turkey Day to you too.
As for me, I’m thankful for a long weekend to finally sleep-in!
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Happy Thanksgiving!
I agree, it’s always best to look at the little things and be thankful for what we have when so many have so very little! I’m thankful for my wonderful family! -
There is nothing that tops gratitude. Nothing. Lately when I have a worrisome, or annoying thought that isn’t constructive (which is the case most time with thoughts like this!) I try to be aware of it. And as soon as that happens, I automatically say to myself I’m grateful for…” and there is always something to fill in the blank. It refocusses me and changes a negative thought into a positive one. It really works!
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I am grateful for your kindnesses…your thoughtful blog…your gentle friendship.
Thank you for taking the time to share these thoughts and remind us all.
Warmly,
Tracey
xo
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