Most of us don’t wake up every day consciously choosing gratitude as our daily mantra, but this state of mind becomes front of mind during the 6 week holiday season. How could you miss it with everything around us during this time, especially launch of the new Hallmark Holiday Movies, at least for me?
Seems to me mid-November would be a good time for an annual retrospective to inventory both the good and not so good experiences we have had through the year. We could choose to acknowledge the good and think about what we might have learned/reconciled from the “not so good” experiences during the year. I believe “choose” is the operative word in the last sentence. There are lots of life experiences we can’t control but we can choose how we respond to them. Easier said than done in real time, right?
I believe both nature and nurture set the foundation for our basic mindset; meaning whether our “glass is half full or half empty.” But after that, we all have a choice whether to focus on being optimistic or pessimistic, positive or negative, thankful or resentful. One of my current challenges is suspending what I call being “jaded” from cumulative life experiences; which should tell you something about both my nature/nurture foundation and the lifelong self-talk I let into my psyche. So what to do in the present? For me, it is to continue focusing more on the positive and less on the negative, as long as you’ve figured out what you learned from it/or reconciled it. I will use my year end retrospective as an example.
It was a difficult year preparing for, undergoing and recovering from my spinal surgery which is still work in progress. The experience challenged my patience forcing me to acknowledge and accept something I can’t control allowing for more balanced choices to support healing. The gratitude side of my equation includes:
-Overall, good physical and mental health assisted by choosing good nutrition, regular moderate activity and practices supporting better sleep. There was a slip with leftover Halloween candy!
-In an effort to support his passion for hiking, I had less, but more intentional quality time, with my husband.
-Enhanced relationships through positive proactive communication and connection. I consistently chose to reach out and follow up with family and friends to make this happen which took well spent time and effort.
-Continued lifelong learning through time spent on various interests and hobbies including reading, writing and weaving. Note, gardening and canning are not on the list this year due to physical constraints supporting the greater good.
I hope this article provided reader reflection and prompted actions to improve your life and the lives of others in your circle of influence. Enjoy this season of gratitude!