Thanksgiving Blessing
I don’t know about you, but I blinked and now it’s Thanksgiving! Which is a good thing because I love my Greek family’s Thanksgiving recipes! It’s like being home again with the all of us talking at once and eating too much!
Another reason I love Thanksgiving is that I cherish gratitude. I never needed all the recent neuro-science showing how our brains, moods, and attitudes improve when we practice speaking, thinking, and acting in gratitude. I just always felt WAY better!
All this said, we are in a time of tremendous change — upheaval — really. I think many people lose sight of what is truly important — with a pressure cooker amount of stress. To do lists too long. (Lists we make.) With work and family demands, possibly financial stress, political unrest, refugees walking across continents for a safe haven and on and on. All of this affects your mental and emotional state. You may not directly feel the pain of being homeless and hopeless, but your psyche is registering it. It also registers and shares the joy and gratitude you feel. Which do you want to send out to the universe?
Social science research says for every negative thought, you need five positive thoughts to counteract it. Do the math. Well, no don’t do the math —too overwhelming. But consider all the negative energy coming through your electronic devices that you are holding, reading, and hearing. Not to mention negativity of the people all around you — in stores, on the streets and highways.
During this time you may be planning Thanksgiving dinner or the side you will be bringing or the restaurant reservation or writing your Christmas present list, but I recommend you set aside some quiet time to review your values. And from there, your priorities. After you have a sense of what you value now, share with your spouse, children, or friend. Discuss it together. Begin or deepen a life together that puts what you value first, not last. If you do this, life may change a lot for you. If you have already done this exercise, it is a good time to revisit it, and see if you are on track.
Many people identify themselves with their profession, bank account, family, or looks. Imagine all that gone. What’s left? From my perspective what is left is the best of you. The divine god seed that you are. Imagine the ocean as source. Then dip a cup into the ocean. The water takes on a new shape, but it’s still source. You are that filled cup. You are made from source and that is your divine truth and right. Buddha said we all have the Buddha Nature — source of divine within us. We just need to awaken to it.
You are at your very essence, Love. Remember that this season of giving. Take the middle path like Buddha modeled and taught. Keep the balance. And most of all keep loving. We dearly need all the kind, loving thoughts to keep ourselves in balance and help the world. I am grateful for you. I am grateful to be alive and contributing to the emerging new consciousness.
What are you grateful for? Hold that alive in your heart.
I love you. You are beautiful to me.
Happy Thanksgiving,
Deborah-Marie