Although Thanksgiving has passed, it doesn’t mean it’s over. One of the times we can be the most grateful is during Christmas time. When we get cards from friends and family far away that we don’t get to see often, or we get visits from those near by, isn’t that when we can be grateful? We are reminded of all of our greatest blessings that money can’t buy and we are filled with gratitude for the people that are close to us. We also have opportunity to be grateful for the kindness of strangers when everyone is more willing to share their goodness.
Thanksgiving isn’t really about pilgrims and turkeys, that was just the beginning of the holiday. We don’t need leaves or pumpkins to have thanksgiving, or even any orange at all. White snow or even green grass can be a reason for us to celebrate thanksgiving, secretive elves and hamburgers can remind us to be grateful. But I think the Christmas season can especially help us to create the habit. Here are some of my ideas to do it.
- Prayer of Thanks — We say thanks for our bountiful meal and loved ones, isn’t the Christmas roast as delicious as the turkey? And isn’t your breakfast good as well, even if it’s cold cereal?
- Thank You Notes — Writing gratitude is as powerful as voicing it. If your thank you notes is written or oral, it’s still important for the people around you to know when you are grateful for what they do for you.
- Thank Siri, Alexa, and Google — The Pilgrims didn’t have artificial assistants to tell them how to make the best stuffing, or when the store closes. Maybe Siri, Alexa and Google aren’t offended without being thanked, but aren’t you still grateful to them?
- Orange you Grateful? — While the seasons have their own distinctive colors, we still see the colors around. Maybe you consider orange more of a halloween color, but can it remind you to be grateful? When you pull out an orange shirt are you grateful you have clothes to wear? Or when you peel the Christmas fruit, are you glad for the sweetness?
- T for Trees — When you see the hundreds of Christmas Trees, think of the t in tree as also meaning thanks.
Here are just five ideas to form a thankful habit even after thanksgiving. What are some of your ideas and tricks to keep an Attitude of Gratitude?
