By Stephanie DeFazio
On Facebook recently, my aunt shared this post from Peace, Love and Smiles with a quote that I believe may have originated from Charles Schultz, the creator of the Peanuts...at least that's what Google is telling me!
What if today we were just grateful for everything?
It made me pause and really think about what it means to be grateful and thankful. Does it mean we go down "the list" mentally of what we are thankful for? Does it mean not being "ungrateful"? Perhaps.
However, maybe it just simply means we should all just be grateful...period. I know it may seem far fetched to be grateful for "everything" because maybe everything is not going well. Maybe there are some things we are grateful for, such as our family and friends, but we are struggling financially, or dealing with health issues. Being grateful for everything doesn't mean we completely forget about what isn't perfect. It means that we make a choice to appreciate our lives, focusing on what is going well and what we do have. That choice, that focus, that behavior, is what fuels our lives. It keeps us positive and motivated, and it removes the focus on all the anxiety that surrounds our own problems and issues. It opens us up to think about others who may be going through something much more challenging.
Before I wrote this blog, in my mind, I kept playing the lyrics from the Josh Groban song, Thankful from his 2007 Christmas album, Noel. (Does anyone else also start listening to Christmas music before Thanksgiving?!) The title of the song and its message makes me think of the start of this holiday season, Thanksgiving. It sets the tone for the next month and why this time of year is so special:
Somedays, we forget to look around us Somedays, we can't see the joy that surrounds us So caught up inside ourselves We take when we should give
This time of year is so important because we can go deep, reflect on the year, and recognize the joy in our lives. We can make the time to think of others, whether it means volunteering, or reaching out to a special family member or friend that is in need of some extra TLC. What better way to better prepare for the holiday season or set the tone for the New Year, 2020, than choosing to be grateful!
It's up to us to be the change...as the song says, so let's all make a point to be grateful, even when it's not easy. It will not only make a difference in our own lives, but we never know the impact we can have on the lives of others around us.
If you are looking for some festive ways to wrap up the year and enjoy the holiday season, check out Creative Spirit's upcoming events for December!