As we quickly approach Thanksgiving, an American holiday dedicated to celebrating thankfulness with those you love, you may be asking what thankfulness and gratitude looks like this year. COVID-19 has presented global challenges including job loss, financial strife and isolation, among others. As stated by famous teacher, Eckhart Tolle, “Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance.”
The very idea of thankfulness is the simple appreciation of and focus on all the blessings that we currently have in life, no matter their size. If we think with an abundance mindset as opposed to a scarcity mindset, we will feel much more fulfilled in life. A scarcity mindset is when we focus on negative things or on the things that we don’t have. We understand that 2020 may present as a negative year but at the end of the day, your outlook affects your happiness, not your given circumstances.
If you lost your job, perhaps this opens an opportunity to pursue a larger passion.
If you are unable to physically visit your loved ones, give them a phone call or a FaceTime session. Perhaps this time will embolden you to contact family and friends you haven’t spoken to in years.
If spending extra time at home seems mundane, perhaps this is a time to grow closer to and spend quality time with those in your household.
If you live alone, perhaps this is a time to pursue a hobby, fitness activity or dream that you feel like you haven’t had the time to in the past.
Thankfulness comes in all shapes and sizes. It’s not about having every detail in life perfect; it’s about appreciating where you are. Thankfulness can simply be appreciating having a warm bed to sleep in at night, having loved ones to share life’s precious moments with and to have comforting, nutritious food on the table.
While we know this year’s celebrations may look different, we encourage you to look at Thanksgiving in 2020 as a new opportunity to express gratitude in a way that you maybe never have before. As we are encouraged to slow down and reduce the background noise of heavy traffic, holiday travels and rigorous work schedules, it’s an incredible blessing to stop to take a moment to appreciate all of the small, everyday things around you.
“Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind.” – Psalm 107:21