The Power of Gratitude: How to Be More Grateful This Holiday Season
This time of year can prove to be quite stressful for the majority of people, from shopping for presents to stocking up on food. We sometimes get lost in the real meaning of Thanksgiving. Thus, we end up taking things for granted. We even get greedy at times, when in reality, we might have everything we need right in front of us. There is a lot more to celebrating the Holidays than what is perceived.
While the major things to be happy and thankful for are our health and ability to work, we can expand beyond that and delve deeper into the true meaning of the Holiday Season. Let us all take a step back this year and for many years to come during the Holiday season to really get back into the authentic holiday spirit that encourages unity and peace for us and our loved ones.
1) If you have family and friends who love you, be thankful.
‘If we do not feel grateful for what we already have, what makes us think we’d be happy with more?’- Unknown
Love is something so dear it should be a privilege for all. The simple pleasures can actually bring us closer together during the holidays. We get caught up during the year as we go to work, school, take care of our family, spend time with friends, and pay the bills. This cycle of busy work makes us forget the real meaning of family: spending quality time together. Sitting around the table with your loved ones is a perfect start to create that unity with each family member.
We can go around the table to express what gives us meaning in life, while relishing the aroma of the scrumptious holiday pumpkin pie baking in the oven. There are many lovely stories or poems to read during the Holidays including singing hymns that are lyrically joyful that will put a smile on everyone’s face from your baby sister to your grandma. These intimate conversations will generate affirmative interminable memories that can easily be preserved and treasured for future generations to come.
2) If you live under a roof, take a moment to be thankful for that.
‘If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough. ‘- Oprah Winfrey
Having somewhere to live means the world to people who do not. On this holiday season remember the meaning of your home, your sanctuary: a form of shelter to which you can go to at anytime. Having a home is your protection; it is something to appreciate on this holiday season, let alone on a daily basis. This fortification can supply you with a refrigerator to store food, a faucet for clean water, and a bathroom so that you can take care of your hygiene and take showers.
The next time you finish taking a shower, say thank you for the ability to be able to shower in clean water. Having a roof over your head means that you have some place to sleep, and this is another privilege to be honored by. Being grateful is as simple as it seems. It is the opportunity for all of us to truly appreciate and value all that we have, at this present moment in time.
3) If you use any form of technology, be thankful as this genius invention helps us stay in closer contact with our loved ones.
‘Joy is what happens to us when we allow ourselves to recognize how good things really are.’ – Marianne Williamson
Technology is precisely at our fingertips where we can conveniently scoop out information by “googling” any question imaginable. 50 years ago that was only a dream. Let us take a step back to fully appreciate the fact that the Internet invariably offers us solutions to which we would be lost without.
We are often on the Internet, either on Facebook or some other social network. In reality the Internet provides us with so much more than viewing someone’s updated status; we find quick tips on healthy eating, how to fix things, etc. We use it to our disposal, so the next time you send an email to your friend or Skype chat with your grandmother, say thank you for this astounding capability.
4) If you are celebrating Thanksgiving, be grateful for the American history that has endowed us with the freedom that we continue to have to this day.
‘When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.’ – Lao Tzu
Our forefathers brilliantly demonstrate that by having almost nothing, we can actually realize that we have everything we need. There is a fine line between the two. Our progressive forefathers commenced a new tradition of sharing food and time with all people. So on a day like today, it is only the beginning the holiday season, which exemplifies Thanksgiving in a new light. The liberation of women and slaves as well as the enhancement of civil rights continues to flourish.
Let us be thankful for the progress for peace, the ultimate goal. Spread love and joy. Happy Thanksgiving <3