Reflecting on the good in your life is an important aspect of self awareness. Being mindful of the who, the what, the where of your life brings meaning to your existence and brings into focus what is important. Who is important. Expressing what is often called the "Attitude of Gratitude" is the mark of a conscious, fully formed person.
I'm constantly reminding my son to be gracious - to be grateful. To express his appreciation. He can be socially awkward, and occasionally brusque in his responses to people. I remind him to show his appreciation - to express genuine thankfulness for those people in his life who enhance him, who add to him. I encourage him to reach out and with an open heart, let the people he cares about know they matter, and he is grateful for their presence in his life.
We thank someone who holds open a door for us. We thank someone who lets us get in line ahead of them at the grocery store when we have 1 item, and they have 30. We thank a neighbor who helps rake leaves...
When do you stop to thank the people who help you be you? When do you stop to be genuinely appreciative of the fantastic people in your life? Those relationships that without, you know you'd be adrift?
As my dearest friend noted - Be thankful this Thanksgiving for people who will bear your burdens.
Changing your diet is easy. Its like committing to only putting 93 octane in your car's gas tank. "From now on - I'm only going to buy the good stuff!" Changing your attitude is the hard part. Changing your world view, your self view - that is the hard part.
One of my jobs at work is to distribute excess work around the office for the other engineers so they can lighten my work load. One of them has a habit of asking me "When is that ( the job I am bringing to him ) due?" When I tell him the due date, he invariably and predictably scoffs "Oh, I could be hit by a bus by then!" - implying he will get out of doing the job that way.
You could be hit by a bus tomorrow. I've known people who were here one day, and gone the next. It isn't a regular occurrence - but it does happen.
Be thankful today for the people in your life who allow you to be who you are - who have helped shape you and support you. Be thankful for the many blessings you have in your life. Health. Family. Money. Even if your health is so-so, your family is distant, and money elusive.
Because tomorrow, the Clean Eating you are doing will improve your health, you will realize that your family are the people you hold close to your heart and aren't blood relatives anyway, and money is simply green pieces of paper.
Thank you all so very much.
