Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday because it inspires a massive shift in how people think about their lives. Amidst the food, football, and other holiday vibes, people are encouraged to give thanks. For a day (or even 20-30 minutes at the dinner table), people think about and say out loud what they're thankful for...and as a result, they feel happier.
...And then, Black Friday rolls around and people forget about all the good vibes that they just talked about. By Monday, the "Thanksgiving mojo" is all but gone and people are stressed out, back on the hamster wheel.
But, maybe it doesn't have to be that way. What if we could take all the positive vibes from Thanksgiving and apply it to our everyday lives?
The business leader/self-help guru, Tony Robbins, might have some important insights into this very process. Robbins, who is a prolific best-selling author/international public speaker/workhorse, starts every day with a simple 10-minute routine. He begins by plunging into a cold pool that jolts his body awake; he then spends a few minutes thinking about and saying aloud what he's grateful for; he completes this morning ritual by praying for others around him.
I haven't tried the cold pool plunge, but might try a similar thing when I get back to icy Toronto (There's nothing quite like walking into a gust of cold air that takes your breath away).
But, I have been experimenting with small exercises to cultivate gratitude. This has been a work-in-progress (and I still struggle with this a lot), but it's something that has helped me and might help you.
Start by writing down 3 things for which you are grateful. This could be a family member, a friend, a pet, your health, a hobby, a past time, a TV show, anything...Spend a few minutes thinking about them, replaying them in your mind and remembering how they make you feel. The key is that you have to zone out during this meditation. Your mind can't be wandering. It has to be focused on these things intensely. Try this for 3-5-minutes. How did it make you feel? Now, give it a shot when you're feeling stressed out or overwhelmed about something. The key here is that you're training your mind to focus on all the great things that you already have in your life. You're cultivating gratitude as a default mindset, instead of succumbing to the tidal wave of negativity on social media or in your everyday life.
And, at the end of the day, this isn't just about changing your individual psychology. As Randy Pausch (author of The Final Lecture) puts it, "Gratitude is one of the simplest yet most powerful things humans can do for each other." There's a powerful sociological story here. When you show and express gratitude to others, they emerge from those interactions feeling better and energized, which in turn encourages them to do the same with others. And so it goes. A chain of positive energy and gratitude.
So, that's it, folks. Give it a shot and share your stories. Please like and share the good vibes. Take care of yourselves and keep fighting the good fight!
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| Thanksgiving can teach us how to cultivate a powerful mindset |
But, maybe it doesn't have to be that way. What if we could take all the positive vibes from Thanksgiving and apply it to our everyday lives?
The business leader/self-help guru, Tony Robbins, might have some important insights into this very process. Robbins, who is a prolific best-selling author/international public speaker/workhorse, starts every day with a simple 10-minute routine. He begins by plunging into a cold pool that jolts his body awake; he then spends a few minutes thinking about and saying aloud what he's grateful for; he completes this morning ritual by praying for others around him.
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| Robbins is a workhorse and credits his success to his routines |
But, I have been experimenting with small exercises to cultivate gratitude. This has been a work-in-progress (and I still struggle with this a lot), but it's something that has helped me and might help you.
Start by writing down 3 things for which you are grateful. This could be a family member, a friend, a pet, your health, a hobby, a past time, a TV show, anything...Spend a few minutes thinking about them, replaying them in your mind and remembering how they make you feel. The key is that you have to zone out during this meditation. Your mind can't be wandering. It has to be focused on these things intensely. Try this for 3-5-minutes. How did it make you feel? Now, give it a shot when you're feeling stressed out or overwhelmed about something. The key here is that you're training your mind to focus on all the great things that you already have in your life. You're cultivating gratitude as a default mindset, instead of succumbing to the tidal wave of negativity on social media or in your everyday life.
And, at the end of the day, this isn't just about changing your individual psychology. As Randy Pausch (author of The Final Lecture) puts it, "Gratitude is one of the simplest yet most powerful things humans can do for each other." There's a powerful sociological story here. When you show and express gratitude to others, they emerge from those interactions feeling better and energized, which in turn encourages them to do the same with others. And so it goes. A chain of positive energy and gratitude. So, that's it, folks. Give it a shot and share your stories. Please like and share the good vibes. Take care of yourselves and keep fighting the good fight!
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