Happy Monday!
I hope you had a lovely weekend and enjoyed some time outdoors. In SoCal, we’re due for much-needed rain for a couple of days. Many of us are unfamiliar with the damp days, and it may prove to be challenging. Please be careful, particularly when driving. Sometimes self-care includes not taking unnecessary risks!
We’ll explore several facets of gratitude and thankfulness for the next few weeks leading up to Thanksgiving. If you’re not currently residing in the USA or don’t have a reference point, it’s a holiday we celebrate on the third Thursday of November. We’ll focus on the sentiments of being appreciative of our provision, relationships, and spirituality.
Let’s begin with the beautiful feelings these words from Eckhart Tolle evoke:
We can readily regale the plethora of negativity in our lives. Our jobs are stressful. Our children may try our last nerve. Our ability to make ends meet is challenging. And the absence of relaxation is causing us to be unwell in many ways.
If we flipped the script, however, we could appreciate that we have work to do when so many are trying desperately to find a way to support themselves and their families. We can be grateful that our children are healthy and happy, modeling what they see in us (sometimes a mixed blessing, lol), and embrace the privilege of shaping their minds. Maybe our financial challenges don’t have to end in working longer or harder but finding ways to minimize and economize our lifestyles. And I’m reasonably sure that adding time for rest and rejuvenation improves our mental, emotional, and physical health in ways we haven’t even considered, thus enhancing the quality of our wellbeing.
In Scripture, Matthew shares some important considerations:
“Look at the birds in the sky! They don’t plant or harvest. They don’t even store grain in barns. Yet your Father in heaven takes care of them. Aren’t you worth much more than birds? Can worry make you live longer? Why worry about clothes? Look how the wild flowers grow. They don’t work hard to make their clothes. But I tell you that Solomon with all his wealth wasn’t as well clothed as one of them. God gives such beauty to everything that grows in the fields, even though it is here today and thrown into a fire tomorrow. God will surely do even more for you!” Matthew 6:26-30 (CEV)
And there are these thoughts in 2 Corinthians:
“And God is able to make all grace overflow to you, so that by always having enough of everything, you may overflow in every good work.” 2 Corinthians 9:8 (TLV)
Both passages remind us how much we’re cared for and the provision for which we can be thankful. The verses underscore Eckhart Tolle’s reminder that when we focus on the good, positive, and uplifting aspects of our lives, we create a strong foundation of abundance. Out of this abundance, we can respond with gratitude and thanksgiving for provision in every area of our lives. It just takes a shift in perspective.
Consider dedicating some time this week to reflect on the things for which we are grateful. Meditate on the positive and redirect the negative thoughts and defaults. I’m confident the exercise will raise your spirits and provide a pleasant precursor to an enjoyable holiday season.
Be Well & Be Blessed!
Lucinda
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