The US has always been a unique nation. And one of our 'firsts' is setting aside a day every year to be grateful. Gratitude is a core competency for living with wholeness and connection and wellness. Without gratitude, we're left with entitlement thinking and inaccurate perspectives on loss and abundance.Dr. Robert Emmons is the world's leading expert on gratitude. He's devoted his career to seeking out the crucial essentials of thankfulness and appreciation, and has drawn innumerable conclusions on why living with thanksgiving is life-giving.
I appreciate a key distinction that Dr. Emmons makes between feeling grateful and being grateful. We can't will ourselves to feel a certain way... our feelings follow from how circumstances align with our expectations. But being grateful is a choice; it may not be the easiest choice in the moment, but it is simply our choice, nonetheless.
Check out a great article on Gratitude from Dr. Emmons here. And for some quick thoughts on thankfulness, check out this infographic from the John Templeton Foundation.
So this Thanksgiving holiday, connect more deeply with those in your life, based on an attitude of gratitude. Genuinely count your blessings. Enjoy and appreciate the relationships you have in your life. Realize all you have from the simplest pleasures to the overflowing abundance right in front of you. And as you reflect, commit to taking your gratitude with you into the year to come.
By the Way
For some great perspectives on Thanksgiving, its history and numerous proclamations, check out this page from the Pilgrim Hall Museum (www.pilgrimhallmuseum.org)
Pilgrim Hall Museum on Thanksgiving
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