Transforming Our Lives Through Thankfulness
9 Ways to be Thankful Every Day
I feel super fortunate to have spent the Canadian Thanksgiving long weekend in Mont Tremblant, Quebec (yes friends in America, we celebrate Thanksgiving too but on the second Monday in October 😁).
It was great to be thankful together as a family - I was there with my family, my in-laws, my parents and my sister and brother-in-law. And of course, our dog Coco.
It was great to be thankful in a time and place to share adventures with the people that mean the most to me.
To have that shared experience and to see all the wonders and marvels of nature… the leaves were peaking so fall colours were spectacular.
The colours were breathtaking, every time we stepped out of the chalet we would take more photos.
Thanksgiving is a time to be thankful and express gratitude for the many, many blessings that get lost in the shuffle of our everyday busyness.
In normal life we hardly realize how much more we receive than we give, and life cannot be rich without such gratitude. It is so easy to overestimate the importance of our own achievements compared with what we owe to the help of others.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Letters and Papers from Prison
As I’m back home and reflect on the weekend, my bigger takeaway is that
Thanksgiving isn’t “a day” on the calendar, thanksgiving should be a daily practice.
Here are some ideas for every day “thankfulness practices”:
Remember - Remember that thankfulness and gratitude is the antidote to anxiety. It shifts our thinking off of ourselves and on to others and appreciation. So much of what I have and have accomplished is based on the help of others… it’s good to remember that.
Reflect - Do a “Positive Focus” every weekend to reflect on the achievements of the past week. This helps me to stay focused on the good of the past week, reflect on what those things meant to me and help me plan for what else I need to do with that thing.
Journal - I have done versions of The 5 Minute Journal on and off over the years along with my free form journalling and day planning, and the sections are:
I am grateful for…
What would make today great…
Daily affirmation…
Highlights of the day…
What did I learn today…
Say Grace - every night before dinner we say Grace. And we do so pretty much always, regardless of who is over. The boys friends used to giggle and roll their eyes but now they wait and are very polite and I think even appreciate it.
Squeeze - My son Andrew did an amazing sailing trip this summer that included blue water open ocean sailing and multiple overnight sails. One of the daily traditions on the boat is the “Squeeze” where they would sit together and share the “best part of the day”… another way of saying “something you are thankful for”.
Thank You Cards - This one is really overlooked and a lost art in the era of digital communication. Send a handwritten thank you cards to express your gratitude. When someone gets personally addressed physical mail they take the time to open it.
The “Red Notebook” - Friends of ours gave us a red Moleskine notebook years ago… as a “love journal” for Candace and me to write notes to each other.
Nature - I find being in nature gives me a heart of appreciation. It puts me in a state of awe and wonder. I have always loved spending time in nature, from being in Boy Scouts as a kid to the many canoe, hike, gravel biking, trail running, windsurf / kitesurfing beaches. It’s also a big part of why I love Tremblant so much.
The hiking trails on Mont Tremblant Get a dog - Seriously. Picture only.
I’m thankful for all of you!
Thank you for your feedback, encouragement.
Happy (Canadian) Thanksgiving, and To Your Bigger Things!
Brad 💕👊
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Great message and reminder! You can’t worry and be grateful at the same time is a great coping strategy!