Thanksgiving is the one day that Americans dwell on what they're grateful
for in their lives (except for the poor turkey). The food is blessed,
loved ones are gathered together, and people go around the table giving thanks
to what they have in their life. The next day comes around, and too
many people go back to watching the football game and complaining about how
much stuffing and pumpkin pie they ate.
It would be great
if every day, the Thanksgiving spirit was kept alive. Instead of looking
at what we don't have each day, look at what we do have and
be grateful for it. (Yes, that half full, half empty glass cliche').
It is once again a shift of perception that makes all the difference in the
world. If a shift can be made to a perception of daily gratefulness,
we'll all remind ourselves of how
LUCKY WE ARE
TO BE ALIVE!
The old tradition
of blessing food each day is certainly admirable - it reminds us of how grateful
we are to have this meal on the table - whether it be from a job's
salary or a harvest.
I'd like to take
it up one step further, and suggest picking out something different each
day that you're grateful for, and reminding yourself throughout the day of
that fact! You'll never run out of things to be grateful for - you
can choose anything you want.
One day, you might
think about how grateful you are to have the power of sight - how lucky you
are to get to see flowers grow and the clear blue sky! The next day,
you might be grateful for being given the sense of smell - to pick up the
scent of a rose or a chocolate chip cookie baking. There are thousands
of things to be grateful for - your child, home, job, legs, arms, lover,
friends, your health, hands, sense of taste, furniture, photographs, books,
music, the ocean, your pet. It doesn't matter what you choose, simply
pick something each day and discover the many ways it touches your life and
why you're grateful for that one thing. As time goes by, you'll see
how many things you have to be grateful for.
You are so lucky
to be alive and are given the chance each day to be here. Cherish what
you have and who you are and what you can do. Concentrate on all the
possibilities of your life, not the limitations. Be grateful for being
you.
From "We are God, A Spiritual Guidebook" Copyright 1995 by Gregg Liebgold