Thankfulness

 As we come to the end of the year we enter into the time of self-reflection ... well I do anyway.

Often I find myself looking back on the year that was and can start to overthink all the things I could have done differently. This always leads me down a path of negative thinking, beating myself up for my imperfections and seeing the year as a colour of black. 

However this year, I have been reminded about an exercise I did when I was in the depth of depression and high anxiety, this exercise was simply writing down 3 things I was thankful for each day for 21 days.

When I took part in this exercise, my perspective and thoughts really started to shift as I realised I had alot to be thankful for, alot to celebrate and positive things to focus on rather than the crises I seemed to have found myself in.

So this got me to thinking that this year as I reflect on what has happened, I think acknowledging the negative, challenges or down moments do have a place as I can learn and grow from those moments, but focusing on being thankful and really trying to think outside the box of things to be thankful for is going to boost my mental energies going into this holiday season. I would love to skip through these next few weeks with my family in joy and celebration and most importantly teach my children to have a thankful heart for the good and the bad.

Whāia te iti kahurangi, ki te tuohu koe, me he maunga teitei. 

Seek treasure that you value most dearly, if you bow your head, let it be to a lofty mountain.

This whakataukī speaks to perseverance and endurance and not letting obstacles get in the way of your goals.

I personally love the explanation of seeking your treasure that you value most dearly. Thankfulness is one of those treasures that we should value and hold most dear. Having a grateful heart for all aspects of life should be a goal we strive for, but can we preserve and have endurance through the negative so we don't loose the ability to give thanks and be grateful even for those tough lessons.

My hope is to encourage you to take stock of your mental space. Do you lean to the negative side of life, can you embrace thankfulness as a value to hold dear to your heart?

If this has got you think here is a link to  a Harvard Health article on 'Giving Thanks Can Make You Happier'. Here they share some research on thankfulness and how it can benefit your world further.

This holiday season, set yourself a challenge. Try to be mindful of how grateful you are and the effect on identifying something your thankful for has on you every day.