Finding Reasons to be Thankful

Looking at the news this holiday season, it’s very easy to feel like we are in a world getting steadily worse. And for some of us, even just looking inward at our own struggles and not at the world at large, can sap our optimism and drain our hope. With Thanksgiving coming up, we wanted to try and instill the feeling that the coffee mug is half full (of coffee) rather than half empty and that there are reasons that make moving forward with our lives worth it.

*We should also acknowledge that false positivity is totally a thing and we are not trying to invalidate negative feelings and experiences; our goal is to give space to feel those emotions while hopefully giving things an optimistic reframe. Also, we know Thanksgiving can be a stressful holiday and that its origins are problematic, and we are trying to channel the better parts of the holiday in this blog, but if Thanksgiving isn’t your thing, we totally get it.

• Don’t run from bad feelings

As we alluded to before, sometimes things suck. That’s okay. We’ve all had that friend who tried (however well-intentioned) to get us to see the bright side of things. When things go bad, the last thing we need to hear about is how people on the Moon have it much worse because they live on a tiny planetoid with bad gravity and no air… what does that have to do with my dog dying? Give yourself (and maybe your friends) space to feel the bad things in life, because those experiences are valid ones too.

• Make plans for a better future

You probably don’t need us to tell you this, but thinking of ways to improve your situation is probably a good idea. It can also be a great act of kindness to yourself to think of ways to pull yourself out of a rut. The first step to getting things that make life rich and worth living is to want those things in the first place; if you don’t have the life you want, dare to dream of the one that you do.

• Make a list of reasons to be grateful

With all this in mind, remember that there are probably some good things in your life. Or even if you’re going through a rough time, maybe you still feel grateful for past times that were better. Whatever it may be, remember the things in life that put a smile on your face and make you glad to feel alive… even if it’s just hazelnut creamer…

• Remember you are worthy

If you ever find yourself feeling that you deserve to be miserable and that the good things in life are not meant for you, stop it. You are absolutely entitled to your fair share of happiness. Whatever the story you tell yourself about who you are, remember that you can always change and be better than you were before. Changing the way you look at your own narrative is honestly another blog entry by itself, and it’s not easy, but if you try hard there is always room to change, and if we are not open to the good things in our minds first, we will never be able to receive them in our lives.

This holiday season… remember to take care of yourself and that even in the setbacks we face there can be hidden opportunities to improve things and that we have the power to move forward in our lives. It may not be always be much, but at least it’s something to be thankful for.