Thanksgiving isn’t all about political arguments with family members and great shopping deals!
The Thanksgiving holiday is upon us.
As such, its very easy to fall into family drama. Almost as easy as it is to fall into a tub of mashed potatoes, or a pit of depression, after your great aunt asks you for the millionth time why you are still single.
Even though Thanksgiving is supposed to be about being thankful for what we have, we often spend it by eating an extravagant meal and taking all of our living familial connections for granted.
So, for this holiday I want to focus on three things to be thankful for today, and three ways to express that gratitude.
Physical Health. They say without your health, you have nothing. You will never know the truth of this, until your health is at stake.
This Thanksgiving, take the time to appreciate your own health. Take stock of where you have fallen short, and where you could do better, in the coming year, after Christmas lol).
Then, choose a family member and invite them to go for a long walk with you. This will be good for both your physical and mental health.
Mental Health. As a society we often take our mental health for granted. This Thanksgiving, take inventory of your own mental health.
Are you holding onto a grudge with a family member that creates anxiety whenever you see them? If so, it is completely within your power to change that. Choose to forgive them this holiday. Let go of your own emotions about it (hint: those emotions don’t actually exist anymore. Now they are memories.)
Letting go of past grudges will only benefit your mental health, regardless of how they respond.
READ MORE: Five Ways to Prepare for Thanksgiving (Mentally and Emotionally)
Abundance. One of the things we should all be thankful for this year is our own abundance. We are very lucky to have what we have, and live the way we do.
This Thanksgiving I challenge you to have a discussion with a child in your family, about how lucky we all truly are. If you can, take them to volunteer, or donate food.
Do something philanthropic to show the next generation of your family the importance of being grateful.