{"id":64698,"date":"2018-02-19T12:15:22","date_gmt":"2018-02-19T17:15:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.gayfriendschat.com\/socialblog\/the-practice-of-thankfulness\/"},"modified":"2018-02-19T12:15:22","modified_gmt":"2018-02-19T17:15:22","slug":"the-practice-of-thankfulness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gayfriendschat.com\/socialblog\/the-practice-of-thankfulness\/","title":{"rendered":"The Practice of Thankfulness"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Practice of Thankfulness<\/b><\/p>\n

For many of us, Thanksgiving kicks off a season of celebration which doesn\u2019t really seem to stop until sometime in January. I probably don\u2019t have to tell you that large gatherings of people, festive parties, and times when everyone is supposed to be part of a happy family can be especially hard if you\u2019re single and wishing you weren\u2019t, maybe even hoping that you would have been on your way to creating your own little family by now.<\/p>\n

In some parts of the world, this season is cold and dark as well, which doesn\u2019t do a lot for my mental state at the best of times. Often, by the time I find my seat at the Thanksgiving table, I don\u2019t feel very festive. I often don\u2019t feel like being thankful.<\/p>\n

Maybe you\u2019ve played that game so often employed around the table. Everyone goes around and mentions something they are thankful for. I\u2019ve gone through phases where I\u2019ve really struggled with this idea. On years when I\u2019m feeling uncharitable, it can seem like a way to brag about blessings, and on years when I\u2019m feeling pathetic, it can seem like an excruciating exercise to figure out what I\u2019m going to say.<\/p>\n

But there is evidence to suggest that gratitude is good for us, and that it encourages more gratitude. What if this simple practice extended into the difficult days of winter and helped you to see a bit more clearly?<\/p>\n

Like any practice, gratitude can be awkward at first, but it gets easier with practice. This morning, for example, I\u2019m grateful for the sun streaming in my window. My home in the Pacific Northwest doesn\u2019t get a lot of sun at this time of year and I\u2019m choosing to accept these rays as a gift. Last night, I cleaned my kitchen from top to bottom until it sparkled, after a long week of putting it off. This morning, when I walked in to make my tea, I was grateful to last night\u2019s self for this lovely gift.<\/p>\n

These aren\u2019t the sorts of things I\u2019d say around the table, of course. But it doesn\u2019t mean they aren\u2019t worth noting. In fact, once you start noticing them, it will likely become habit. My own tendency is to focus on what is wrong with my life, on what I wish would change, rather than on the gifts I\u2019ve been given, simple or otherwise.<\/p>\n

Last week, one of my best friends moved back to town. She has a three-month-old baby and now I\u2019ll have a chance to be more present in his life and in hers. There\u2019s a new season of the Great British Baking Show on Netflix. Yesterday a friend called out of the blue, just to talk. These are all reasons to be thankful.<\/p>\n

Why not give it a try? Once a day, or every couple<\/a> days, spend a little time with a notebook. Make a list. Or carry it with you and write things down during your day as they come to you. Collect your blessings in a place you can see them and return to them. Use them as ammunition against the moments when it feels like everything is going wrong in your life.<\/p>\n

When it comes time for Thanksgiving dinner, if you happen to be at one of those gatherings where you\u2019ll need to say you\u2019re thankful for something, you\u2019ll have a huge array of options. But don\u2019t stop there. Let the practice carry you through December, January, beyond. Let gratefulness become habit. There is no downside.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s likely that I\u2019ll still miss blessings in my life\u2014I\u2019m not perfect at this. But I want to be on the watch for them. I don\u2019t want to always expect the worst. It\u2019s so easy to find when you\u2019re looking for it\u2014in the world, in your own life\u2014I want to expect wonder and beauty. I want to expect joy. Maybe if I\u2019m looking I\u2019ll see those things more often. That would be something to be thankful for.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Cara Strickland<\/a>\u00a0writes about food and drink, mental health, faith and being single from her home in the Pacific Northwest. She enjoys hot tea, good wine, and deep conversations. She will always want to play with your dog. Connect with her on Twitter\u00a0@anxiouscook<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

The post The Practice of Thankfulness<\/a> appeared first on eHarmony Blog<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\nwww.eharmony.com\/blog\/the-practice-of-thankfulness\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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