On gratitude…
As the US celebrates Thanksgiving tomorrow, it occurs to me that “gratitude” can be a loaded word for some.
There are many reasons that it can feel overwhelming to celebrate gratitude; we can be in a dark place, whether momentarily or for a longer period of time, we can find the word and the concept of gratitude too big when we are challenged with anxiety, stress, perhaps even pain, in every moment.
There is a tendency in our society to bypass those who aren’t feeling the gratitude vibe, or worse: for people to try and cheer us up because they feel uncomfortable about our feelings.
Paradoxically, in a season of gratitude people can feel more isolated than ever.
A few months ago, I was planting seeds in some flowerpots. While that action would not necessarily have made it onto a “gratitude list”, I noticed how pleasurable it was to have my hands in the soil, to plant the seeds, to water them, and put them in the sun.
This is my tip for starting to cultivate a sense of wellbeing (if that feels right for you in this moment): start by noticing pleasurable experiences.
Whether it’s the sun or the wind on your face, water on your skin, the smell of food you like, seeing the color of the leaves, or the taste of a piece of fruit. How many of these experiences do you notice in a day? Perhaps you want to start writing these small moments of appreciation down, so you can read through them when you are not feeling great.
It’s been a pleasure for me to write this. I am grateful to you for reading it.
