A Message From Our CEO
Tis’ the season when our newsfeeds are full of thankful’ challenges, grateful list’ and pumpkin EVERYTHING. Without a doubt, celebrating people and special events brings me great joy. As a person whose love language is Acts of Service, holidays are just a socially acceptable time to go a little celebratory ‘cray cray’.
When life is going well, gratitude allows us to celebrate and magnify the goodness. But what about when life goes badly? Specifically, during the times when we are struggling to find purpose or hope; angry or bitter. So many people today are in the midst of personal or economic maelstrom so the thought of gratitude is more of a daunting task more than anything. Does reframing our thoughts to focus on a grateful mindset really, really help? My answer... YES! It will not only help .... but it is essential with seeing the bigger picture and obtaining personal growth.
It is important to make a distinction between feeling grateful and being grateful. We cannot easily will ourselves to feel grateful, less depressed, or happy. Feelings follow from the way we look at the world, thoughts we have about the way things are, the way things should be, and the distance between these two points. But ultimately, being grateful is a choice. Just like love, joy, forgiveness and kindness, gratitude also requires a conscience effort on our part. Choosing gratitude despite our circumstances is a prevailing attitude that will endure the gains and losses that flow in and out of our lives.
Here’s a great analogy that helps keep things in perspective ...
You are holding a cup of coffee when someone comes along and bumps into you or shakes your arm, making you spill your coffee everywhere.
Why did you spill the coffee?
“Because someone bumped into me!!”
WRONG ANSWER.
You spilled the coffee because there was coffee in your cup.
Had there been tea in the cup, you would have spilled tea.
**Whatever is inside the cup is what will spill out.**
Therefore, when life comes along and shakes you (which WILL happen), whatever is inside you will come out. It’s easy to fake it, until you get rattled.
*So we have to ask ourselves.... “What’s in my cup?”*
When life gets tough, what spills over?
Joy, gratefulness, peace, kindness and humility?
Anger, bitterness, harsh words and reactions?
Life provides the cup, YOU choose how to fill it.
Today let’s work towards choosing to fill our cups with gratitude, joy, words of affirmation; kindness, gentleness and love for all.
It has been said, ”For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.”
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!
Best,
Angela
P.S.
Our national holiday of gratitude, Thanksgiving, did not come from triumphant season but rather it was born out of hard times. The first Thanksgiving took place after nearly half the pilgrims died from a rough winter and year. So many lost so much. It eventually became a national holiday in 1863, but not during a monumental time of peace but rather in the middle of the Civil War. During the 1930’s Thanksgiving was once again a highlight of conversation and our national holiday was moved to its current date following none other than the Great Depression.
ThanksGIVING = ThanksLIVING