Tomorrow, well, at least in the US, is the day we say “Thank You!” It is a day to appreciate all the people and events and items that make our lives special.
I like to share about the idea of a “State of Appreciation” and what better day to share - again - than today. There are a few ways we can enter this state.
1.) By being aware that everything that we appreciate, that we are grateful for, that we love, involved so many other people and events.
There is a TED Talk by AJ Jacobs, where he shares his journey to thank all the people responsible for his morning coffee. You can watch it here https://youtu.be/L375-rWJVmU and I really recommend it as a fun Thanksgiving Day exercise. But the gist is rather than just being grateful for his morning coffee, he goes on a journey to actually thank all the people involved. It took him months and took him around the world, he thanked over 1000 people. It included of course the barista, the man in charge of selecting the coffee beans for that shop, it took him to Colombia, where he thanked the people that grew the coffee and to his city to thank the people working there for the water that went into the coffee … it really went on and on an on.
So as you are being grateful for your family or your Thanksgiving meal or your life or health, it is a fun thing to see how many layers you can go deep.
2.) By being aware of what all the things you are grateful for have allowed you to do or be or experience. For example, let’s say you are grateful for your coffee, what does that provide for you? Did that coffee make you feel more energized and give you focus to do your best work? Did it warm you up on a cold day making your freezing fingers warm again? Did it give you an excuse to meet up with a friend? Did it remind you of a time in the past when you were traveling and had another cup of coffee, but in a distant land? How did this coffee that you love make you a better version of you? And how is that better version of you impacting others?
Each thing we are grateful for has created an expansion or change in us. Noticing that is another path to a deeper state of appreciation.
3.) This is a combination of one and two from above. It is bringing awareness to, and appreciation for, the flow of life. Appreciation for what came before that allowed that moment of gratitude, and the awareness of the possibilities arising from it.
It’s like breathing in and out. So many chemical reactions had to take place on the planet for oxygen to be available for us to breathe and that breath gives us the potential to create and experience so much. It is like this with everything. It is all a gift and all a possibility.
Thank you all so much for being a part of my life. Thank you for reading and writing me back when something resonates. It is a joy to share what I’ve learned and continue to learn about falling in love with our lives and the people in it.