The Power of Giving Thanks
November 24, 2011
By Amanda Ponzar
On this day when we focus on being thankful, I can’t help but think of people who’ve risen above tough circumstances and are grateful for what they have. J.R. Martinez on Dancing with the Stars could have given up because of his military injuries (burns), but he has gone on to be a TV soap star and a dancing dynamo!
Or what about Nick Vujicic who was born without arms and legs? He travels the world sharing his faith.
Or my friend Crystal who has shares the story of her miscarriage and comes alongside other women going through the same tough situation. (Crystal now has two healthy little boys.)
Most of us haven’t gone through anything that bad this year, but we still find plenty to complain about. Boo hoo. Woe is me. Waahhhh! Check out my post "A dinner table lesson from Bill Gates" on the Global Rich List -- you're doing better than you think you are.
What are you thankful for? Each day, try to write down at least three things. Keep a sticky note on your computer or set a daily Outlook reminder. Write in your journal or keep track with your Smart Phone. Every now and then, see if you can fill an entire page with thanks: family, friends, faith, job, house, food, sunshine, chocolate, Starbucks, trees, health, kids, peace, blogging, beauty, cinnamon, laughter…go general or get as specific as you want: thankful for best friend Traci’s visit last month, watching all three versions of Jane Austen's Emma, taking a walk today with my good friend Kendra, smelling baby’s freshly bathed hair.
Why not try it during Thanksgiving dinner? Go around the table and have each guest say one thing they are thankful for. (We used to pass a wooden cup and each family member dropped in a dried corn kernel and said what they were thankful for; don’t ask me what the corn was about; it was my dad’s idea.) No matter what (relationships, finances, job, loss, pain, etc.) you’ve gone through, there is always something to be thankful for. And the more you focus on what you have to be thankful for, the more things you’ll think of to be thankful about, and the more thankful you’ll become. That thankfulness creates real joy that will fill you and radiate to others.
I am thankful for friends. I am thankful for the sun that is shining in my window. I am thankful that I have a chance to make a difference today - to myself, to my family, to my community - maybe by sharing a story, feeding a bird, embracing the world around me.
I find it's easy to feel lost and sad and wonder "why me?" about one thing or another. But, answer is always, why not you?
If you ask, why not me? and see the possibilities that brings, the why me question is no longer relevant.
Why not... be the me that makes a difference, no matter how small.
Posted by: Yvonne DiVita | November 24, 2011 at 11:43 AM