What Does Being Thankful Really Mean?

Posted on Nov 7, 2016 | 0 comments

With Thanksgiving right around the corner and being thankful right at the top of everyone’s mind, I thought it would be fun to talk about what being thankful really means, on a truly conscious level.

Thanksgiving is a holiday in which we celebrate our dependence, our dependence upon each other and our communities to thrive, survive and exist. Because without each one of our unique skills that we can offer to others, something would be missing out of each of our lives and we would not be this advanced.

The Native Americans, particularly a peaceful Wampanoag named Squanto, were integral in helping the pilgrims survive when they arrived in what would become Plymouth, MA. They came together to celebrate the fall harvest and the unique gifts that each society had to offer the other in peace in 1614 for the first Thanksgiving celebration. Unfortunately, the Thanksgivings that followed were not in peace. It wasn’t until the end of the 1800’s that Thanksgiving got back to what it is today, a time to be thankful for all that we have and all that we can contribute.

Being thankful is more than just saying thank you and acknowledging all of the wonderful things you have. It is so much deeper than that. There are so many people and things in my life that I am thankful for. I realize that I am dependent on these people and things because they add so much joy and quality to my life, without them, life just would not be as good.

Being thankful is not just saying it though, but really feeling it and spreading it around.

Here are 3 ways you can be more consciously thankful.

Be Attentive. Keep your eyes open to what is around you. Those people that you are thankful for, always be there when they need you too. There are little blessings in disguises put on our path daily if we are more attentive to what is around us than what is going on within us, especially on a rough day.
Appreciate. Instead of just being thankful, truly appreciate life’s blessings when they are given to you. Take a few minutes, meditate on it and really appreciate what you have – and don’t be afraid to share that appreciation with the appropriate people!
Be grateful. Though we may all deserve the best of the best, we all don’t get it. Be grateful for what you do have by acknowledging how you got it and why. Pay your good fortune forward however you can.

Choosing to be thankful will fill you with so much unexpected happiness. When we take a minute to sit and be thankful, to be conscious of the gift or benefit that has been received and reflect on how much better that has made our life, we are becoming conscious of our vulnerabilities and our need for other humans in some way. This will make us all feel a little bit more connected and our human bond will grow.

So this year, when you are sitting and being thankful for family, life, friends and things, I urge you to take it a little deeper. Reflect upon the conscious meaning of inter-dependence and growth in the act of being thankful. Let your eyes and your heart open up to what is right around you and bask in that glorious feeling.

And that is what being thankful really means, to me!

Malibu Mama Loves Xxx

#NaBloPoMo