Thanksgiving: A Holiday or Lifestyle

It has been some time since I have connected with you all via my blog. It seems that I have taken a little bit of a break from writing. Part of it was needing to take some time to recharge and rediscover my voice, and part of it was what many of us experience when we talk ourselves out of reaching our highest potential or feel like an impostor. This is especially true for people that achieve at a high level or surpass the limited expectations that others may have placed on them. This feeling can sometimes lead to one silencing their voice. Now, let me be clear that I wasn't feeling like an impostor. I firmly believe that I have a voice that needs to be heard. But, I will admit that I needed to give myself time to just breathe a bit and recharge my battery. So, now I am back stronger than ever and fully understanding, appreciating, and valuing my voice. A voice that is needed to encourage and instill hope. A voice that is needed not only in this country but the world over.

It is with this voice that I have been pondering the holiday we call Thanksgiving. For those that know me well, you know this time of the year is my favorite. I was born in the fall season and the bold beautiful colors of this season has alway spoken to me. I love the fall with its mild weather that you can go outside with just a sweater on or light jacket. I even like when the weather turns crisp and you may need to put a scarf around your neck. I don't just love this season for the weather but this time of the year signifies the holiday season where it seems more warmth and love are felt in the many celebrations that take place.

The last few days, I have been asking myself is Thanksgiving just a holiday or is it a lifestyle that we should take with us throughout the year. Now, we know that we have been told Thanksgiving started around 1600 something when colonists shared a feast with the Wampanoag, who helped them survive their first year in the new colony. I am not here to debate history or the starting of that first holiday but to set the stage for it being created. We were also told that in 1800 something, Lincoln made Thanksgiving a national holiday. Some say that the Thanksgiving holiday was celebrated in the colonies for various reasons to include its observance on the 4th Thursday of November after the Civil War. During that time, the Thanksgiving Holiday was observed to celebrate things like successful harvests or victories with military campaigns. I set this stage to help us understand how Thanksgiving became a National Holiday and to affirm that we all celebrate Thanksgiving in our own way and for our own reasons.

Now, to my question - is Thanksgiving a holiday or a lifestyle. Yes, Thanksgiving is a holiday and I also believe that Thanksgiving should be a lifestyle that guides each day of our year and not just during the holiday season. Thanksgiving for me is the act of being grateful and appreciative. It is my belief that regardless of what is happening in our lives, country, or world; there is always something to be thankful and grateful for. To that end, Thanksgiving should be a lifestyle. There should be time at the beginning and end of our day where we pause to give thanks for the day and all the things that were experienced and received in that day. It is as simple as saying "Thank You" or "I Am Grateful" to include what you are thankful or grateful for. When we pause like that at the beginning and end of our day, it helps us to shift our focus from what is wrong to what is right, and helps us to see that we have way more things to be thankful for than we have to complain about. This Thanksgiving Holiday let's commit to making thanksgiving a lifestyle choice and see how your life is transformed. I often wonder what would our world be like if we focused more on being thankful and less on complaining and blaming.

My charge to each of you reading this blog post, is to make thanksgiving a regular part of your lifestyle by pausing at the beginning and end of your day for just 5 minutes and affirm those things that you are thankful for. Doing this each day will transform your life and help you see the world in a more loving way. If you need help or ideas to assist you in developing this lifestyle of thanksgiving and gratitude, pick up my book The Year of Gratitude for practical suggestions on incorporating gratitude and thanksgiving in your daily lives.

I wish each one of you a very blessed and wonderful Thanksgiving!

With Thanksgiving,

Dr. Daphne