To grab your free 30-Day Gratitude Journal right now, go here: 30 Day Gratitude Journal
Keep reading for ideas, resources and inspiration for developing your gratitude muscle and making your Thanksgiving gathering joyful.
Are you having a Thanksgiving gathering with friends or family? Most often we focus on the feast part of the gathering. In addition to that, some planning ahead to have enjoyable activities as part of the day can make it even better.
Last Thanksgiving I shared a collection of online resources to engage and entertain children and the whole family for the day and the entire weekend. There are great things to download and print, games, learning opportunities, recipes, and more. Plan for enjoyment: https://carolbrusegar.com/thanksgiving-free-online-resources-entertain-family/
Gratitude is Powerful
Things are much better in so many ways than what we’ve experienced since the beginning of the pandemic. There are still challenges and many are still grieving losses. This can make it difficult to fully embrace gratitude. Yet the very intention to identify, acknowledge and celebrate can be therapeutic in the midst of challenging times.
Gratitude is powerful. It can shift our thoughts and mindset and open us to more positives. It can inspire us to do things to enrich others’ lives. Expressing our gratitude to people who have enhanced our lives and supported us through difficult times helps both us and those to whom we communicate.
Adela Rubio describes 3 reasons that gratitude shifts our energy: It shifts your focus to the present moment, creates a new orientation, and establishes a indelible connection with Source. “Gratitude is a powerful transformation tool. It changes you and the world you live in!” https://adelarubio.com/3-reasons-gratitude-shifts-energy/#
As we move toward the official celebration of Thanksgiving, it is an ideal time to structure a gratitude time into our lives. It can be as simple as having a small notebook or some paper clipped together where you write five things each day. As the days pass and you look back, you can see where you have been and what has touched you. Another approach, recommended by Sonja Lyubomirsky, PhD and professor at the University of California Riverside, is a weekly gratitude exercise. Once a week, perhaps Sunday evening, reflect upon and write down five things for which you are grateful. For some, daily expression becomes boring and routine; weekly can be more meaningful.
Or you can take a more structured approach with prompts for you to write about each day (or less frequently but regularly). I offer you this free, directly downloadable 30-day Gratitude Journal to get started (or to resume a left-behind practice). 30 Day Gratitude Journal
Z. Colette Edwards, MD, MBA has written a post that includes multiple aspects of gratitude. It was written this year and reflects our current reality in the midst of the pandemic. Dr. Edwards is a physician and life/executive/wellness coach who blends traditional medical and integrative perspectives in her work.
Dr. Edwards includes a list of 20 Ways to Celebrate Gratitude which focuses on things we can do to express our gratitude to others, which has benefits for both ourselves and the recipients. For example, “Email or text notes or drawings to healthcare workers” or “Verbally thank the grocery store clerk who is stocking shelves non-stop or checking one customer out after another, and thus putting themselves at risk.” Here is the full post: https://peopletweaker.com/hcr-blog/gratitude-during-difficult-times/
As we move toward Thanksgiving, embrace the powerful force of gratitude. Cultivating gratitude in yourself and encouraging it in others can be enrich our experience now and for the weeks and months ahead.
Here’s a book with 105 short essays on gratitude. Each is written by a different author with a unique perspective and story. It’s a great thing to pick up and read an essay or two when you need a boost. This link is to the 2024 edition; the 2025 edition will be available in December, 2024. A Gift of Gratitude
I’m Carol Brusegar, author, photographer and curator of information. My focus is on gathering and writing on topics that enhance all our lives – regardless of our age. Topics include health and wellness, personal development, innovation and creativity, and a variety of helpful, practical tools and practices. I have a special interest in helping people over 50 years of age to create their 3rd Age – the next stage of their lives – to be the best it can be.
Follow me on Twitter! Follow me on Instagram! Follow me on Pinterest! Follow me on Facebook! Visit my Etsy Shop!
