30 Days of Thanks

T'is the month of thanksgiving posts. They start coming in full force and we start rolling our eyes because they seem insincere. After all, you should be giving thanks all year, right? 

Yes, we should.  But we don't. 

I'm not talking about you, Perfect Betty.  I'm talking about those of us that spend most of our days worrying about how we're going to make it through another week of work and get the chores done.  Or who is going to be home in time to pick up the kids.  Or whether our our house is going to catch fire in the middle of the night (thanks This is Us!).

Worries and fears rule just about every day of our lives.  I mentioned during my last post that fears have the ability to rob our joy.  We have to make a distinct effort not to let them.  And the best way to do this is through thanksgiving.

I talked to someone after my last post who was not convinced.  How can giving thanks make your fears go away?  It doesn't.

Giving thanks allows me to focus on what I do have.  It takes the pressure of all the things I can't control off my shoulders and emphasizes on the moment.

Before I know it, these moments are going to be gone.  My children will grow up.  We may move and have to say farewell to our friends.  Colleagues move on and the feel of the office changes.  Giving thanks in the moment is so important.

I know this is harder for some people than others. There are so many people out there who have a hard time during the holidays.  Grinches that gnarl at the sound of Christmas music.

Here is my secret. I am one of you.

I have lost and grieved over loved ones.  I have been separated from family around the holidays.  I spent almost an entire December in the hospital with an ill child.  I have known some serious valleys.  And holidays are difficult for me too.

Sometimes, I just have to make a conscious decision not to fall into a pit.*  I need to focus on things I am grateful for.

Cue, my 30 Days of Thanksgiving project.  I came up with 30 little acts of thanksgiving to do during the month of November.  If you google, you'll probably find plenty of similar lists out there.  I decided not to post my specifics because I really tailored it to my needs, things that are important to me.  Things that are difficult for me.  OK, and I might have come up with color-coordinated schedules and entire family times centered around my topic of the week.  I'm a total nerd.  It makes me happy.

Giving thanks makes me happy.

And honestly, I should really be giving thanks year 'round.  But it's never too late to start.

And so, farewell October with your fears, worries and anxieties.  Hello November, the month of thanksgiving.  A month where we can put all things into perspective and make way for joy.

*PS. I wanted to clarify that I am not, in any way, minimizing depression or anxiety.  I don't think everyone can make magically change their situations or their chemical make up in an instant.  If you need help, don't ignore the warning signs.  There is nothing wrong with seeing a therapist.  There is nothing wrong with using medications if you need it. Just don't think you are resigned to being unhappy forever and please, don't think you have to go through it alone.