Thankful
I love Thanksgiving, I’m pretty sure it’s my favorite holiday. I love it for so many reasons: the crisp fall weather (even though I’m in California, I still feel hints of the cooler season), the leaves that artfully decorate the ground, enjoying not driving my kids all over the planet, letting them sleep in, and waking up late and having my coffee in bed. Oh, yes. Those are some of the reasons why I enjoy Thanksgiving week; but mostly, I feel the difference when I get quiet and reflective on all that I am thankful for. There’s so much to be thankful for. So much. Being thankful does wonders for our mind, body, and spirit. Even now as I ponder the word thankful, my breath slows, and I feel my entire body relax. Peace trickles up inside. Try it. Take a deep breath in, and as you exhale, meditate on the word thankful, and see what happens. Here’s the deal – we feel peace when we practice thankfulness, because we were not designed to live thinking only of what we want, how we’re going to get it, and feeling deprived if we don’t have it. Don’t get me wrong…it is OK to want, it is good to desire. However, wanting and desiring will backfire if we start obsessing, ruminating, feeling envious, or deprived. If our desires lead us to living in fear, we’ve taken a wrong mental turn. The path for cultivating a place in our hearts that hosts desires well, is through the way of gratitude and thankfulness. This posture says, yes, I do want, but I am also thankful for all that I’ve generously been given. It’s a different angle- more gentle, more grounded. It’s a way to hold life in surrender. We were designed to say thank you, because that is a relational action, and our true nature is 100% relational. In fact, most recent findings in neuroscience are identifying the brain as a “relational brain” because everything about us depends on relationship. Speaking of the brain and neuroscience, there is a lot happening when we get thankful. Through brain scans, it has been noted that when we are thankful, we have increased determination, focus, and clear thinking. We are more calm. Thankfulness centers us. Being thankful activates the hypothalamus, this is the area in the brain that controls sleeping, eating, and drinking. This is why practicing gratitude at night can help us sleep better, to sleep in peace. It actively effects our stress levels, and can even inspire us to want to exercise. Wow! Can being thankful really be that powerful? The coolest thing is, being thankful can be a pre-curser for the neurotransmitter dopamine. AHHMAZING!! Dopamine, along with other SSRI’s, is called the “feel good chemical” because…it makes you feel good. Your brain basically is saying, “Oh, do that again!! It feels good!” So, how cool is it, that when we say “thank you,” that will, relationally speaking, bless someone else (God, the Universe, your friends, your family); and then in turn, it will bring you peace, a humble heart, and a calm that you need to survive the many stresses of life. Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone! Sending you much love, and much gratitude!
Peace, Annie