By Todd Savvas
So, Thanksgiving just happened. Maybe you spent the day with friends and family, cooking up elaborate foods and drinking copious amounts of alcohol. Or, perhaps you spent the day by yourself, very, very alone.
Of course, the aim is to feel thankful and to be grateful. But, what if you just aren’t? Are you a bad person? Have you committed some cardinal, spiritual sin?
I’m going to answer this as clearly as possible for you. NO.
I’d be great if you could navigate your way through a highly pressured and emotional time like the Holidays, and feel happy, thankful and joyous constantly. Perhaps “pipedream” is an appropriate word for this?
Yes, the prompt to be thankful is important and useful. But Thanksgiving is also rooted in some terrible historic atrocities. So, how does one experience thankfulness, whilst another group of people feel more hurt than happy? I digress a little there, so, let’s keep on track.
The energy of thankfulness needs to be fully understood and directed properly for it to have a useful and effective shift on your energy.
If you’re forcing yourself to notice things to be grateful for, yet, inside you’re feeling an entirely different way, we’d venture to say you aren’t actually being authentic. Now that’s the no-no!
Firstly, being honest and real is paramount. Don’t say you’re thankful for things you aren’t. Your words lose power every time you lie. Especially at a time when the truth is a valuable commodity.
Secondly, come from a place of truth- even if the truth is. I had a huge fight with my family. So, I sat at home feeling pretty low.
This starting line of truth helps you approach some real things to actually FEEL thankful for. Also, let’s get rid of the SHOULD feel thankful. Let’s try “COULD” be thankful for. Once there you can move onto experiencing the most powerful word, “APPRECIATIVE” of or for.
Let’s look at some easy ones: breathing, sunshine, puppies, the color red- or blue- or yellow (etc.), rain, snow, pumpkin pie. Don’t focus on things that elaborate and complex. Why? The more complex the more elements you won’t control that will lead you into inner-criticism over how it could have been better. Start off slow, notice the simpler things, from that place you expand into appreciating more and more.
Here’s the deal. Your inner-critic and ego mind will have found SO many reasons to be unhappy and dissatisfied with a day so fuelled with expectation. Your job as a being, whose mission is to become more loving and aware, is to recognize where your feelings are right now- even if that feeling is “crap” , THEN direct your inner conversation toward better thoughts.
The true power of being thankful and appreciative- to a higher energy, isn’t a show for others. It’s a personal process of connection between you and whatever, great big energy you feel exists up in there in the Sky. For some it’s the Universe, God, or Jesus, or the Angels. Once you focus on something you’re thankful for- to the energy that created everything, it awakens the positive part of you and aligns you to better thoughts.
If you can awaken the part of you that feels in awe for something, even if the awe comes from the brightness of sunflowers, you will shift your moment from heaviness to something better.
Ready to try? What’s one SIMPLE thing on this earth that you enjoy, like, or feel good about. Got something now? In your mind say Universe/God/Angels/Higher Self, I feel thankful for xx -trees, sunshine, butterflies, the ocean, etc. Notice the shift in your energy. Step by step, you’ll raise your mind to better places.
Todd Savvas is an international spiritual teacher. He can be seen on Good Day LA and Young Hollywood. You can connect with him on his social media @toddsavvas or to arrange private sessions with him visit his website http://toddsavvas.com