Gratitude for YOU

Thanksgiving week often promotes mindfulness and awareness of our blessings and a feeling of gratitude for all we have.

It can be a time for reflection on life’s changes and those we’ve lost or can’t be with during this time. And while I’m a huge proponent for an attitude of gratitude daily, reminding ourselves of our blessings often, and living with kindness, I have a more important goal for you this week:

Take some time to express gratitude for yourself. 

I mean it. 

Take a quick second to reflect on the thoughts you’ve had today or words you’ve said. Most likely the conversation inside your head or with others include something along the lines of:

About others:

• Great job!

• You’ve got this!

• You deserve a chance to relax

• Take care of yourself!

• I’m so thankful for you!

About yourself:

• I have to do this, and this, and this, and this (about 1,000 things)

• I’m so busy, I’ll never get it all done

• Ugh, I’m SO not good at this

• I don’t want to see so and so for the holiday... They’re going to criticize me about x, y or z.. 

• What if someone realizes how _______ I am?

• I can’t believe I made that mistake, I’m so stupid

• Should I keep going?

Friends, why is the list of thoughts and words about ourselves OFTEN so different from those WE THINK AND SAY about others?

Let me remind you: 

• You are doing a good job

• You can do anything

• You GET to do so much (see what I did there? Turned “I have to: into “I get to” and it changes the entire dynamic of the to-do list game - BAM!)

• YOU deserve a chance to relax

• You need to take care of yourself (and those you love need you to, too!)

• You should be as thankful for yourself and all you are and all you do for this world as you are for others. 

• You are not perfect. Neither are those people you’re praising, and appreciating and lifting up with your thanks!

During this week of Thanksgiving, make some time to celebrate YOU.

Express gratitude for your nose (even if it’s crooked, too wide or too small), your hair (even if it’s too thin, too wild, too blah), your body (even if you can think of a million ways you wish it were different because it’s the most amazing machine and it’s the only one you’ve got!), for your talents, your insecurities and your shortcomings because guess what - you’re HUMAN. And you’re AMAZING.

Express gratitude for YOUR life and WHO YOU ARE.

You are beautiful, you are capable of great things, and you are enough. Make a commitment to speak words of thanks and kindness to yourself throughout the coming days of the holiday like it’s your J.O.B. I can’t think of one that is more important.

Happy Thanksgiving, my friends.