11_28_2019

THANKS-GIVING

When I ponder the deeper meaning of our country’s celebration of the Thanksgiving holiday, my immediate association is with the word “gratitude.”  If we actually divide the compound word into its separate parts, it is easier to see that this is a holiday that calls for GIVING THANKS for all that we receive in our lives.

Earlier this week, as I was enjoying one of my favorite walks that has an abundant supply of trees along the path, the word gratitude popped into my head.  Our minds work in funny ways, often responding to subconscious messages that we are unaware of.  In this instance, as I carried on an internal conversation about the concept of gratitude, perhaps it was my subconscious reading my desires to find a way to remind myself more often to acknowledge the many reasons I have to be grateful.

What unexplainedly popped into my head was the ending syllables of the word gratitude. Forget for a moment how the word is actually hyphenated, and instead see if you can also hear “attitude” at the end of the word.  Creative play with my own rules of etymology or word roots, I made up my own that lead me to consider the word this way.

GRATITUDE is fostered by having a GREAT-ATTITUDE.  This path led me to a follow-up insight that translated to this thought:  Having a great attitude provides a natural path to experiencing gratitude.  Having sat with this thought for several days now, I am adding it to my “toolkit” for living a more peaceful, content, and joy-filled life.

Let me share why I think having a great attitude is a significant aid in being more mindful of the practice of gratefulness.  I can’t just automatically direct my mind, heart, and feelings to a space called gratitude.  What I can do is in quiet moments call up experiences, relationships, aspects of my life for which I am grateful.  Several years ago, a friend gave me a Gratitude Notebook that one uses daily to record a list of things that you are grateful for in that day.

The list is helpful, but after writing in it for several days, I realized after a while it became routine, and it is easy to fall into a rut of just listing the same things over and over again.  Also, having to remember to find the list everyday to write in it is just another step that keeps the experience of feeling grateful from being a spontaneous one.

A key to experiencing appreciation and recognition of all the gifts that we have in our lives begins with our ATTITUDES.  Our outlook on life as well as our points of view play into our orientation for how events in our lives register in our psyche.  For example, the other day I inadvertently left my notebook that I took with me to do research at a local bookstore on the counter after paying for books that I purchased.  I realized as I was driving home what I had done, and my first thoughts ran along the themes of inconvenience, needing to pay more attention, etc.

Once I was home I called the bookstore, explained my situation to the young woman who answered the phone, and provided information about where I thought I left it. Sure enough, she was back on the phone in minutes, letting me know she found the notebook and would hold it for me at the front desk.  While I was happy that my notes had been recovered – and a splash of gratefulness was part of that happiness – I focused on how much time it would take me to drive the distance to retrieve it.

Keep in mind that traffic is unusually heavy during the week of Thanksgiving, and as I estimated that I was going to have to find at least an hour if not more time in the next couple of days to reclaim my research notes,  I was more focused on the inconvenience than on the actions of someone I didn’t know helping me to solve my problem.  When I realized what I was doing, I was pretty quickly able to adjust my attitude to a more positive frame, and that allowed me to acknowledge the gift of a helping hand from the young woman who heard the concern in my phone call.  I had spent several hours taking notes to gather the research I needed, and all of that work would have to be repeated if I couldn’t retrieve my notes.

Reflecting on experiences like the one I am sharing here can provide us with guidance and ways of reframing the next experience like this that comes our way.  Practicing gratitude has benefits that go beyond our immediate observation and understanding.  Our physical bodies benefit from reducing our stress levels and quieting the need to turn to the less than healthy behaviors that we can look to when under stress.

Our mental and emotional bodies benefit from reminding ourselves that in the bigger picture of life, the smaller things that so easily throw us off kilter are likely things that we won’t even recall in a week.  In other words, as we learn to quickly check if we need an attitude adjustment – and if so, do a reset, we can more easily continue on the intentional paths we were on before these unexpected bumps in the road entered our lives.

Finally, on a spiritual level, when my attention is called to noticing acts of kindness and compassion from others that I encounter on a daily basis, I feel less alone and more connected with others.  These valuable connecting thoughts help me stay true to my desire to deepen my compassion for myself and for others.

I am blessed with access to many of the basic needs in life.  As I watch what many of the immigrants trying to gain access to our country are experiencing, and what they are willing to go through to escape the horrors of their current circumstances, I become even more aware of all of the blessings that are available to me.

And while I am very troubled by the hateful and short-sighted beliefs and messages originating from some who hold key leadership roles in Washington, I am also reminded by the writings of thoughtful historians like Jon Meacham in the Soul of America: The Battle of Our Better Angels of the goodness that exists within those who fight for and support taking steps that enhance the quality of life for others in this journey of our human lives.

I am grateful to those of you who are taking the time to read my Blogs, and I hope that your spirits and hearts are lifted today as you engage in GIVING – THANKS for the gifts in your life.

NAMASTE