November 21, 2021: Gratitude Isn’t Just A Thanksgiving Tradition
Definition of Gratitude: : a feeling of appreciation or thanks
“Gratitude turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity…it makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.”
Melody Beattie
Thanksgiving is a holiday, where traditionally people give thanks for the good parts in their lives It is an opportunity to look closely and recognize the positive things that grace our days. But expressing gratitude doesn’t have to be just a solo event shared once a year around a dinner table. While negative events can cause anxiety, despair and sadness and are a part of life, we can cultivate the habit of evaluating the gifts in our lives. Practicing gratitude on a daily basis has shown to have significant benefits ranging from impacting our personal relationships to improving our mental and physical health.
Expressing gratitude has been scientifically proven to:*
1. enhance and build relationships
2. improve physical health
3. improve psychological health
4. build a sense of compassion and empathy, while reducing aggression and hostility
5. improve sleep
6. improve self-esteem
7. strengthen mental health
“This is a wonderful day I have never seen this one before.”
Maya Angelou
During my childhood, my mom was the eternal optimist, focusing on the positives in her life. She often used the analogy, that “if you’re faced with a barn full of manure, grab a shovel, because there has to be a pony in there someplace.” She taught me by example to appreciate the blessings instead of focusing on the misfortunes. The “blessings” ranged from the traditional ones of being thankful for good health, a home, family, friends and meaningful work, to the awareness that each morning we awaken to brand new day full of possibilities. Paying attention to the little things in life that bring us joy, can be a powerful antidote to the pervasive negativity of the media and modern world. Expressing gratitude for acts of kindness from others, reminds us that people are not all hateful misanthropes, but fellow travelers on the journey of life.
Keeping inspirational quotes on gratitude can a wonderful source of comfort when life throws us the inevitable curveballs. I have compiled a list of some of my favorites from sources that transcend the ages. If you have others that inspire you, please share them in the comments below.
As always, we are thankful for the greatly appreciated support from our customers, friends and readers. Thank you for taking the time to read our blog and we invite you to share it with someone who might find it meaningful.
Stay healthy, safe and have a Happy Thanksgiving!
Best regards, Wendy
Inspirational Quotes on Gratitude:
“I am happy because I’m grateful. I choose to be grateful. That gratitude allows me to be happy.”
Will Arnett
“When I pray, I always thank Mother Nature for all the beauty in the world. It’s about having an attitude of gratitude.”
Miranda Kerr
“When we focus on our gratitude, the tide of disappointment goes out and the tide of love rushes in.”
Kristen Armstrong
“I awoke this morning with devout thanksgiving for my friends, the old and the new.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Appreciation is a wonderful thing. It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well.”
Voltaire
“When you arise in the morning give thanks for the food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies only in yourself.”
Tecumseh
“Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.”
Robert Brault
“He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.”
Epictetus
“It’s a funny thing about life, once you begin to take note of the things you are grateful for, you begin to lose sight of the things that you lack.”
Germany Kent
“Wear gratitude like a cloak, and it will feed every corner of your life.”
Rumi
Liz RosenfeldNovember 22, 2021
Loved your thoughtful blog this week. The attitude of gratitude is something I strive for every day and in keeping with this personal goal, I have been reading ‘Braiding Sweetgrass’ by Robin Wall Kimmerer. In a chapter called Allegiance to Gratitude, she talks about the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois Confederacy) Thanksgiving Address and her commentary resonates with me:
“Cultures of gratitude must also be cultures of reciprocity. Each person, human or no, is bound to every other in a reciprocal relationship. Just as all beings have a duty to me, I have a duty to them. If an animal gives its life to feed me, I am in turn bound to support its life. If I receive a stream’s gift of pure water, then I am responsible for returning a gift in kind. An integral part of a human’s education is to know those duties and how to perform them. The Thanksgiving Address reminds us that duties and gifts are two sides of the same coin. … ‘What is our responsibility?’ is the same as asking ‘What is our gift?’ It is said that only humans have the capacity for gratitude. This is among our gifts.”
I love the idea that we humans can take our gratitude to another level by recognizing that in addition to being grateful, we have a responsibility – a duty – to protect and preserve all that we are grateful for.
WendyNovember 23, 2021
Thank you so much for your thoughtful response. I have the book on my night table, and am savoring its thought-provoking and wise words. The quote you shared is such a powerful one. Can you imagine what the world would be like if everyone practiced gratitude on a daily basis and took ownership of their actions and responsibilities? I sincerely believe that opening our eyes and hearts to the ‘gifts” of life that grace us every day is a powerful way to combat the despair and sadness that seems to be pervasive in today’s world.