Thanksgiving is such a wonderful time of the year. It's a great time for getting together with family and friends and feasting on turkey, ham, sweet potato pudding, stuffing, gravy, and of course pumpkin pie. And then there's the buttery mashed potatoes, the green bean casserole, andso on and so on.
Thanksgiving is really much more than just the time for a delicious feast.
I can remember a beautiful Thanksgiving celebration at the home of dear friends in Rochester, NY. That year there were about 35 of us. The food was amazing. Most every one I know has special dishes that they make at times of celebration and BJ and Turk were no exception. The food was memorable. But what was even more memorable was the time we spent giving thanks for all that we had been blessed with that year. It was a joyful time. It was a time to stop for a moment and realize that no matter what, no matter the personal challenges of each person present, there was much to be grateful for. To begin with we were grateful for the opportunity to celebrate together.
Thanksgiving is such a wonderful time to show our gratitude. And we all have so much to be grateful for. I know that these are challenging times for many of us, and still we have much to be grateful for, and many reasons to express our gratitude.
GRATITUDE: AN ATTITUDE TO INCLUDE EACH AND EVERY DAY.
In 2001, Stephen Post, PhD, professor of bioethics at Case Western Reserve University's School of Medicine, created a research group called the Institute for Research on Unlimited Love (IRUL). It was dedicated to testing and measuring the effects of love and other positive caring emotions in human life. His studies showed that love-related qualities-like gratitude-actually make people physically healthier.
· Gratitude can play a major role in our emotional and physical well-being. It has been found to lower blood pressure, reduce depression, and make people happier.
· Just 15 minutes a day focusing on the things you're grateful for will significantly increase your body's natural antibodies.
· People who express thankfulness to others are people we want to be around. They are letting us know that we're valued.
· In the workplace, when someone expresses gratitude for what we've done, we feel appreciated and want to do our best work. We just don't want to let that person down.
Gratefulness, appreciation, and thankfulness are all synonyms for gratitude. Gratitude is recognizing that what you have, what you were given, or what you have experienced has value.
Stop right now, right this moment, and choose to let go of everything that needs fixing (your husband, your wife, your children, your parents, your siblings and their spouses, your finances, your health, your shadow, your inner child, your body, your boss, your friends, the economy, the government, etc. etc.) and just enjoy this moment - and this one - and this one. Why not stop reading for a few minutes and simply be thankful. Be thankful if someone cares about you. Be thankful for the food you eat, the sun that shines, the people that love you, the people you love, your pets, the clothes on your back and the shoes on your feet. And most of all take a moment to be thankful for the unique and wonderful person that you are.
I wanted to add a little video to remind us of how very fortunate we really are, and I watched many deeply touching ones, seriously touching ones, beautifully touching ones. Then I opened this one and I began to smile, then I began to laugh. What better gift can I give you all at this glorious time of Thanksgiving, but a smile and perhaps a laugh. I sure hope you enjoy this as much as I did. And before you connect to it, put on your dancing shoes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9z2ELaBVJY
