After the turkey has been roasted and the yams have been mashed to succulent perfection, and the green bean casserole with its golden onion topping is taken from the oven along with the puffed and airy popovers, we greet our guests and seat them at our beautifully set autumnal-themed table.
“What are you thankful for this year?” I ask each person at the table. As I listen to the recounting of each person’s idea about the thing that touched them the most this year, I began to examine my own thoughts on the subject. Was I thankful for my family and all the joy they bring me? Was I thankful for getting through the pandemic, thus far unscathed? Perhaps it was all the clients I have been fortunate enough to coach or all the books I have been writing.
My scope of gratitude has gone farther this year than ever, perhaps because there has been the threat of pandemic looming uncomfortably nearby, and knowing I have been spared when cherished friends have not been so fortunate. I search for the answer that means the most this year.
As I think about the shift I’ve experienced, I realize that I have been living in the moment more this year than ever. Gone are the futile thoughts about failures in the past that I frankly can’t do anything about and gone are the wild dreams about a Pandora’s box-like future. This year, with my feet, planted firmly on the ground and my mind concentrating on all that is, I am happier and healthier than ever. I am living in the present moment and endlessly thankful for every minute of precious life that has been granted to me.
On this Thanksgiving, I urge you to examine your life and find at least one thing that stands out as being something you are truly thankful for. By virtue of that very act of being thankful, you are putting your attention on something positive, casting off any negative events. I have learned that what you focus on grows. When you focus on the negative, you will pay attention to more negativity, but by focusing on that which is positive, you will notice all the positive things that touch you every day. It can be truly uplifting!
Wishing you a heart filled with gratitude and a very happy, healthy Thanksgiving!
Rooting for you, as always,
Angela I. Schutz
Driven to Succeed Consulting LLC