So a few days ago I was listening to the wonderful messages at church and smiled to myself at the general theme of gratitude. I love the holidays and Thanksgiving kicks off the most wonderful time of the year for me. I was blessed to have two of my children during the holidays (my son 4 days after Christmas and my daughter a few days after Thanksgiving). And while it makes for some pretty crazy days of trying to simultaneously plan Thanksgivings, Christmas activities, and two birthday parties, I feel so blessed.
After church though I came home and felt a bit melancholy. There was no apparent reason, just a slight touch of sadness. And as I reflected on what to do when I start feeling this way, a prompting from the Spirit came simply and quietly–you need to practice thanks giving.
I hesitated. I have read the studies on gratitude (you must see the infographic at the end of this post via mindvalley.com). The science behind living in gratitude is amazing.
This one simple principle can impact life in enormous ways. I have participated in countless gratitude lists and journals and have tried to follow my mother’s counsel to look for 5 things to be grateful for daily. And in so doing, I have noticed my joy levels rise.
So why was I hesitating when the prompting came to practice thanks giving? If I believed in the power of gratitude to add joy to my life could I believe in the power of gratitude to be a quick and effective happiness boost for those moments of stress, sadness, or frustration?
This deserved to be a project I decided. So on Monday I began the “Thanks Giving Project.”
Let me explain how it works.
Every time I start to feel a negative emotion (such as anger, sorrow, stress, etc.) I stop the thought right in its tracks and redirect my thoughts to ones of gratitude. I reflect upon my many blessings, or any blessing that I can pick up and place in my heart….
In the few short days I’ve engaged in this project, I have witnessed my negative emotions literally melt away every time. I hope to make this “giving of thanks in the hard times” a habit by Christmastime as my gift to my Savior and I can’t wait to witness the miracle that may transform me. I truly believe that if I can practice this giving of thanks, then I will be given even more experiences for which to be grateful. It will be a positive cycle of “thanks giving to thanks living” and then back again to thanks giving.
Would you care to join me on this path?
May you have the most wonderful Thanksgiving with your family and loved ones this year is my sincere desire.
Love,
Jamie
