Happy Thanksgiving!  I know I usually drop this blog on Thursday mornings, but I’ve got a date with an 18 lb bird at this time tomorrow, so I hope you don’t mind the early delivery.

If you’re anything like me, you’re in the mad dash of “getting-stuff-done-before-being-off-the-rest-of-the-week.” 

Or maybe that was you yesterday, and you’re already off for the rest of this week in the mad dash to “clean-cook-bake-and-be-social”… but yet you’re checking email anyhow even though your out-of-office says you’re not working.

Or I suppose you might be one of the few who isn’t seeing this message until after Thanksgiving… in which case you can save it for next year.

However this email finds you, I know your time is even more limited today.  But you’re going to want to read it.  Trust me.

I’m gonna help you take gratitude to a whole new level.  At least personally – and if you’re really brave, in your relationships too.  Read on…

Gratitude is one of the most powerful forces on earth.  There might be (probably is) science behind that.  But we haven’t the time today to get nerdy about that research.  I’m going to go out on a limb and bet that you can agree with me that gratitude has immense power to change our perspective, open up new possibilities, and guide us in living our purpose. 

If we can agree on that premise, then I want to challenge us to really leverage that power. 

I’m offering 5 gratitude prompts today… for your own personal reflection, or maybe even for your family discussion around the feasting table. 

You might be used to “What’s something you’re thankful for this year?” 

That’s child’s play compared to these.

You know I’m a high achiever.  So let’s go deep.  Suck the marrow out of life.  Carpe diem.   (Yes, I’m a child of the ‘80s.  Dead Poet’s Society made an indelible mark.)

1.     Who are 5 of your favorite people, and what’s one reason that they make that list?

Want bonus points on this one?  It’s easy to choose immediate family and besties.  If you’re up for a challenge, choose 5 who you’re not related to, or are not in your innermost circle.  They might even be people you admire from afar who don’t even know you.  (If you’re journaling about this, remember that my first name is spelled with a K… 😉)

 

2.    Who are 5 people you’ve lost, and what is something you’re grateful for about each of them? 

Ready for the “bonus points challenge?”  Don’t just consider those who have died.  Who have you lost from your life – through a breakup, divorce, argument, just drifting apart – that you can name something you’re grateful for, even if it is or was painful?

 

3.    What have been 5 peak experiences in your life, and what are you grateful for about each of them?

Bonus points:  Was someone else instrumental in making that experience happen?  Reach out with a note, a text, a call, or a prayer to thank them for their role and let them know how much it impacted you.

 

4.    What are 5 bad experiences in your life, and what can you be grateful for from each one?

If you really want to challenge yourself, include “mistakes you’ve made” and not just “bad stuff that happened to you.”  What’s a mistake you’ve made – maybe even one that hurt someone else - and what can you be grateful for from that experience?

 

5.    What are 5 ordinary things you do every day (or nearly every day), that you could link to a gratitude practice? 

For example, “While brushing my teeth each night before bed, I can pause and name something I’m grateful for from the day.”

You only get bonus points on this one if you actually choose one of those options and put it into practice!!

Do I expect you to stop whatever you’re doing right now and journal for hours about these prompts?  No.  But maybe it gives you something to ponder as you’re chopping onions (I mean, that’s a good time for the hard questions; you’ll be crying anyhow and no one will think twice).  You can always go back and journal about these after the guests have gone home.  What do you notice about your thinking, your emotions, or your physical sensations as you look at these people and situations from the standpoint of gratitude?

Or maybe these prompts give you a way to get your family to have an actual meaningful face-to-face conversation – not just a group chat – as you sit around the table or travel to your next destination.  What might happen if your family opened up and listened to each other’s responses to one of these questions?

And maybe these questions help to shift your perspective as you head into the last weeks of this year and think about what you’d like next year to hold.  What might God want you to see in these people and experiences?

However you use them, I hope these questions lead you to new insight – even amidst the carbohydrate-overload.

My gratitude for you

Whatever your Thanksgiving will hold, please know that I’m giving thanks for you.  It’s an honor to be allowed into your inbox (and life) and accompany you in this way, and I don’t take that privilege lightly.  I’m blessed to get to do this work, and I’m truly grateful that you’re in my circle.

And if there’s something interesting that comes up for you as you ponder one of these questions, I’d love to hear about it!  Tell me which question evoked the most meaning for you, or even tell me about one of the people or experiences that you reflected on.  I’m all ears!