Thanksgiving with gratitude

Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on what’s most important in life and what truly means the most.  It’s a time to think about and show gratitude for all that we’re thankful for. We should really have this kind of gratitude in our hearts everyday of this year, not just on Thanksgiving.  How do we do that?  When I went to a school assembly yesterday, the principal asked the kids to think about what they were thankful for, close their eyes and focus on their feeling of happy gratitude.  I’ve never seen this done at school and I was thankful that my daughter was experiencing this positive exercise not only at home, but at school too.  Mrs. Naylor went on to teach the kids that when they were feeling the gratitude in their hearts that it was impossible to have fear, worries, anxiety or sadness at the same time.  What a powerful realization for the kids to learn that when they want to feel better they can think about what they’re thankful for and the things that make them happy and smile, while the negative feelings go away for a time, just like that.  We can do that everyday.  When things get tough and we experience challenges that bring us down or make us doubt, gratitude can lift us up again.  The mind is such a wonderful and powerful thing we’ve been blessed with.  Being optimistic and looking for the good today and everyday can bless our lives.