The Healing Power of Thankfulness

Thanksgiving Day is upon us. One of my favorite holidays of the year.  It is not about the feast; it is about the bounty. Or more importantly, it is about the drawing of awareness to our bounty, our good fortune, our many blessings. It’s easy to get caught up in menu planning, shopping, cooking, eating a lot, and the general excesses of the holiday feast – which is also very fun.  But when these become the focus of the holiday, we miss the essence of the day – gratitude and thankfulness, and, in turn, lose the healing power of the holiday. For in gratitude there is healing. When we express gratitude we experience a lifting of our spirit, an improvement in our feelings, a lightening of our load, and a stronger connection with those people and things for which we are grateful.

“I am so grateful for your being in my life.” The power of those words has the capacity to join you closer to another person, and heal rifts in relationships.

Start each day – not just Thanksgiving Day, but every day  – with a reflection on the relationships, experiences, and the many gifts that make your life better. And then express your gratitude for them. The conscious thought and visceral feeling of this expression creates an emotional energy that transcends whatever perceived difficulty you may be encountering and will increase your awareness of the goodness of your life thoughout your entire day.

From the dawn of humankind, we have expressed gratitude in prayer to our God, however we defined it, and, in so doing, have been uplifted, soothed, and strengthened. And today, however we express our gratitude we create greater relationships and opportunities, and draw to us more of that for which we are grateful. As we feel more grateful for what we have, we become more aware of all we have to be grateful for – a nice circle. Just as when we express thankfulness to another for something they have done, we are more likely to see them repeat that behavior for which we are grateful.

Don’t wait for Thanksgiving. Start each day by expressing your gratitude for anything and everything that brings you joy, that feels important to you, and that adds meaning to your life. Make every day a thanks giving day.

In joy and gratitude-
Jess