Wednesday Wisdom - A Thought for Thanksgiving

A THOUGHT FOR THANKSGIVING

     

 

 

   

"Let our lives be full of both thanks and giving."

Lindsay Letters

 

 

Thanks

Offering thanks is tonic for the soul. Expressing gratitude, especially enjoying and appreciating our abundance, creates greater abundance. According to Yogi Bhajan, "Gratitude is the open door to abundance." Cathy Phillips added that, "Gratitude will open your heart as well."

When I stop to count the many blessings God has given me, I discover I have plenty and to spare. When I express appreciation to others for all the goodness they add to my life, I find I am surrounded with love, acceptance, and kindness. The act of being thankful produces abundance. It changes us and changes the world around us.

"Gratitude turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow." Melody Beattie

Giving

Thoughtful giving makes a person come alive and develops more substance in the giver. Thus those who give are more likely to "find themselves" because there is more to be found. Deep and lasting joy comes from giving and sharing. The sweet and ironic arithmetic of mindful giving is that both the giver and the receiver are added to and edified by the process.

I find great satisfaction in sharing my time and expertise in the art of tracing life's journeys. I love to teach others how to explore their family tree and preserve their family traditions and legends. I love to offer a listening ear to those who have meaningful stories to tell (don't we all?). I love to hear them describe their challenges and their triumphs, their tears and their laughter, their nights of darkness and their seasons of sunshine. My own life is richer when I learn about theirs.

Giving is living. The generative, life-enhancing power of giving renews us and invigorates us whether we share our time, talents, compassion, or money. If we give from the heart - regardless of what we give - the very act of giving blesses us in magical ways.

Thanks/Giving

The happiest people I know consistently give of themselves and express gratitude for their blessings. Their lives are full of both thanks and giving. In so doing, they discover that their own needs are abundantly met and their joy is full.

This year, I hope your Thanks/Giving includes plenty of both.