#127: Beyond Thankfulness: 4 Things You Need to Be Grateful For If You Want to Grow
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Today is American Thanksgiving. It’s a day dedicated to giving thanks for all the blessings in our lives. The myth we were taught as children revolved around the colonial settlers from Europe – or Pilgrims – and the native Americans. It was told that they put aside their differences for one day a year to share a meal, teach each other their unique traditions, and embrace each other with love and acceptance.
But anyone with any true knowledge of that time in American history knows that this is just a fairytale.
The concept of a Thanksgiving – or day of thanks – is present in nearly every world religion as a day to be thankful for the harvest and the previous year. And these are worthy aspirations. But I’m going to say something controversial: The myth I grew up with is also a worthy aspiration. I still believe this wholeheartedly…even given my knowledge of the true nature of the relationship between the settlers and the natives.
Anyone can be thankful for the good stuff. And we all should be of course. But what about the challenges, the setbacks, the tragedies, and the travesties? What can you gain from being thankful for those things?
Perhaps a better question is this: What can you lose by not being thankful for the stuff that seems indisputably bad? What are you missing out on by not digging below the surface?
Growing up, Thanksgiving was a central holiday in my family. But honestly, it was less about thankfulness and more about socializing and partying. I was never truly taught the value of a thankful practice until, as an adult, I found it on my own. And so I’ve created my own traditions and my own complex practices that go way beyond thankfulness.
So while I bet you’re thankful for the “blessings” in your life. Your talents. Your favorite things. Good friends and family, and so on. I suspect you don’t give the same reverence to the “curses”. I’m talking about failures, maybe an insect infestation or an ex who won’t leave you alone. Your rotten childhood or even a bad back.
What sort of crazy person would be thankful for any of that?
Me, that’s who!
And if you’re ready to grow – I mean really, truly grow – you will be, too!
In this podcast I’ll explain why you need to be just as thankful for your perceived curses as you are for your blessings. And I’ll tell you the 4 seemingly awful things you must start thanking your lucky stars for fight now!
So listen up, buttercup; I’m about to blow your mind!
