Give Thanks All The Time
Thanksgiving is celebrated to say thanks and recognise the sacrifices and blessings of the past year. The annual celebrations honor the first Thanksgiving feast shared between the colonists in Plymouth, Massachusetts, later known as the Pilgrims, and the Wampanoag Indians. It is a good practice to remind us how blessed we are as nation to have liberty and our right of being protected under constitution in the pursuit of life and happiness and there is a loving God who is sovereign over our lives and nation.
There is a danger however, I believe, in identifying one day a year as Thanksgiving Day. It’s the danger of implying that thanks is only due on this day, but not on others. The lexicon defines thankfulness as feeling or expressing gratitude; appreciative. For Christians thankfulness is a prominent Bible theme. First Thessalonians 5:16-18 says, “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” Did you catch that? Give thanks in all circumstances. Even in the Qu’ran being thankful to Allah is mentioned, “Be thankful to God: whoever gives thanks benefits his own soul, and as for those who are thankless — God is self-sufficient, worthy of all praise” Quran 31:12. These verses imply that thankfulness should be a way of life for us, naturally flowing from our hearts and mouths.
Research have shown that gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Gratitude helps people have more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build stronger relationships.
Research on gratitude
“Two psychologists, Dr. Robert A. Emmons of the University of California, Davis, and Dr. Michael E. McCullough of the University of Miami, have done much of the research on gratitude. In one study, they asked all participants to write a few sentences each week, focusing on particular topics.
One group wrote about things they were grateful for that had occurred during the week. A second group wrote about daily irritations or things that had displeased them, and the third wrote about events that had affected them (with no emphasis on them being positive or negative). After 10 weeks, those who wrote about gratitude were more optimistic and felt better about their lives. Surprisingly, they also exercised more and had fewer visits to physicians than those who focused on sources of aggravation.”
Ways to cultivate gratitude
Being thankful is a way for us to appreciate what we have instead of always reaching for something new in the hopes it will make them happier, or thinking they can’t feel satisfied until every physical and material need is met. This sounds like the Buddhist philosophy which equate satisfaction to happiness, and they even go on further by stating complete absence of desire for things of this world is reaching the state Nirvana. Someone has aptly said strive to improve oneself yet be contended with what you have. Gratitude, Yes we need to focus on being thankful for what we have instead of what we lack.
Here are some ways to cultivate gratitude on a regular basis.
“Make a practice to write a thank-you notes. You can make yourself happier and nurture your relationship with another person by writing a thank-you letter expressing your enjoyment and appreciation of that person’s impact on your life. Send it, or better yet, deliver and read it in person if possible.
Thank someone mentally. No time to write? It may help just to think about someone who has done something nice for you, and mentally thank the individual.
Keep a gratitude journal. Make it a habit to write down or share with a loved one thoughts about the gifts you’ve received each day.
Count your blessings. Pick a time every week to sit down and write about your blessings — reflecting on what went right or what you are grateful for. Sometimes it helps to pick a number — such as three to five things — that you will identify each week. As you write, be specific and think about the sensations you felt when something good happened to you.
Pray. People who are religious or spiritual can use prayer to cultivate gratitude.
Meditate. Mindfulness meditation involves focusing on the present moment without judgment. Although people often focus on a word or phrase (such as “peace”), it is also possible to focus on what you’re grateful for (the warmth of the sun, a pleasant sound, etc.).” Yes we have been given the advice, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Philippians 4:8
Positive attitude and Health
Well a grateful and positive attitude goes a long way in contributing to our health. Studies have shown that it increases the levels of endorphines which gives us an increased sense of wellbeing. The cortisol, (stress hormone) level in blood is also lower in the in the absence of stress. Sustained levels of cortisol may lead to sugar imbalance and diabetes, may lead to weight again and obesity, immune suppression, high cholesterol, gastrointestinal problems, hypertension and cardiovascular problems.
Remember life is too short so make each day count. Be thankful for each day you are given and make the best out of it. To be grateful and happy or discontented and sad is a choice we have to make each day of our lives.
May all the good things of life be yours, not only on this day but throughout the coming year.” “Wishing you a harvest of blessings, good health and good times.” “May you enjoy a bountiful Thanksgiving, a joyous holiday season and healthful, Happy New Year
