Practicing Gratitude this Holiday Season
- Amy Munson
- Nov 29, 2019
- 3 min read
Updated: Dec 4, 2019
OMG can you guys believe it is thanksgiving already? I don't know about you, but I am in such a festive spirit these days and Christmas can't come fast enough for me! I am a huge fan of Christmas so all the festivities, traditions, gifts, decorations, and treats are so captivating to me! Going into the season, starting off with Thanksgiving is a much needed reminder for me to practice being grateful and content with what I have! If I don't allow myself to slow down and see all the wonderful things that I already have, all I will do this Christmas Is want more stuff and I'll get trapped in a materialistic view of this world.
Don't get me wrong, I LOVE buying gifts for people, shopping the Black Friday deals, and browsing the isles of Christmas galore, but if I don't put myself in a mindset of gratitude first, I will get sucked into the never ending search for Christmas satisfaction. If I skip right over thanksgiving, Christmas would end up with me worrying, complaining, and searching for more materials to satisfy my craving for the best Christmas ever, but if I spend the time being thankful and remembering what's truly important, I will enjoy Christmas for what really matters like my family, Jesus Christ, and serving others.
If you are anything like me, It's an easy trap to fall into, so here are my top tips for practicing gratitude this holiday season:
1- Show your love for others
This is the time of year that many of your loved ones may be near by. Use this opportunity to step outside of your comfort zone and share with them how much they mean to you. Don't just expect them to know, tell them why you love them or how they have impacted your life. This year I want to make cards to send to my loved ones to show them how thankful I am for them.
2- Write a list of basic things you take for granted
When we write out a list of things that seam so simple to us, it's a great reminder of how blessed we are to have such important things that not everyone has. Here's a few things from my list:
- water
-a warm house
- more than enough food
- a bed with warm blankets
- a family
- an education
- a real bathroom
- clean clothes
The list could go on forever...
3- Serve others who are less fortunate
Anytime I have been able to serve someone who is struggling or maybe doesn't have the things from my before list, my whole perspective on life changes. Seeing someone who has so little, reminds me that I need to be way more grateful for what I have. Before serving others I often am greedy, but after serving, my perspective turns from greedy to grateful.
4- Join in gratitude with others
Thanksgiving is a perfect opportunity for this. We so often allow thanksgiving to roll by and all we have done is eat food, play football, and watch the Macy's Parade. What a waste of an opportunity it is if we leave the dinner table without sharing what we are thankful for with others. Not only does it allow you to think deeper about what really matters in life, it will also bring you closer to the people around the table as you share in gratitude together.
5- Practice gratitude everyday, not just thanksgiving day
Being thankful around the dinner table is much more natural than being thankful around the Christmas tree on December 25th, and even more so on a random Tuesday in July. When we roll into December, we often leave our gratitude in November and pick up our trusty ole' greed again. We forget about how blessed we are and go wild over the hot new toys, the newest iPhone, or all the gift cards we can dream of. My personal challenge this year is to be grateful in the midst of all the greed. While I will always except a gift, I want to practice being grateful for the people sitting around the tree with me rather than what's inside the box. I want to enjoy the festivities of Christmas while also remembering my priorities and what truly matters to me.
Being grateful is one of the hardest things to do in our society. We are taught to constantly want the next big thing but in reality we have way more than we could ever need right in front of us. This holiday season, I am challenged myself to practice gratitude, and I hope you will too!
Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, and I'll see you next week!
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