As we celebrate Thanksgiving today, let’s focus on two priorities: thankfulness and gratitude.
The website, verywellmind.com, defines the word gratitude as “a positive emotion that involves being thankful and appreciative and is associated with several positive mental and health benefits.”
The Bible describes gratitude as “the state of being grateful; a warm and friendly feeling toward a benefactor, kindness awakened by a favor received; thankfulness.” It typically refers to our expression of appreciation to God.
I have a client who consistently expresses gratitude, regardless of his current circumstances. Think about it – God uses life’s challenges to equip us for the next battle better, so let’s be thankful for the valleys as well as the peaks.
If you try to take a shortcut or avoid the battle altogether, you will only cheat yourself. You will deny the blessing that awaits you because you develop resourcefulness, resilience, and discipline from each battle.
As we gather around the Thanksgiving table today and experience the aroma of freshly cooked turkey, dressing, green beans, mashed potatoes (yes, my favorite!), and pumpkin pie, we need to remember what brings us together rather than what separates us.
Let’s focus more on Thanksgiving Day NFL football with the Cowboys vs. the Chiefs and leave the divisive political conversations for another day. With such deep feelings and convictions, neither side will convince the other to convert, so why raise the temperature in the room?
I played with ChatGPT a little bit, and here is what Chat (we’re on a first-name basis!) revealed, combined with my own added insights:
1. Gratitude slows us down in a fast world. Life moves too quickly, as we check boxes, answer emails, and juggle responsibilities. Gratitude interrupts that pace and reminds us that reflection is not a luxury; it’s a necessity.
2. Gratitude reconnects us with what’s real. Gratitude helps us shift our attention from what’s missing to what’s present. We focus on what we’re grateful for instead of what we wish we had.
3. Gratitude strengthens our relationships. A simple “thank you” can build bridges, soften hard edges, and remind the people in our lives that they matter. Gratitude is focused on others rather than being “me”-focused.
4. Gratitude helps us see the bigger story. This year, like every year, is filled with highs and lows, wins and losses, joys and disappointments. Gratitude does not erase our challenges, but it does give us a better context.
5. We become better when we practice gratitude. Gratitude enhances mental health, strengthens resilience, reduces stress, and boosts happiness. Gratitude helps us see the better version of who we are.
My friend Dave South sent me an inspiring devotional recently from “The Twin Thieves,” by Steve Jones and Lucas Jadin. Its title, “Struggle is a Necessity”:
“There was once an old man sitting on his porch. As he sipped his morning coffee, something on the ground caught his eye. It was moving. Looking closer, he realized it was a cocoon.
Watching it struggle, the kind older man decided to help the cocooned butterfly escape. So, he went into the house and grabbed a tiny pair of scissors. He bent down on one knee and gently cut the cocoon open without harming the butterfly.
And soon after, the butterfly died.
You know why? The butterfly wasn’t prepared for the world outside. It wasn’t strong enough to fly. It’s the process of struggling out of the cocoon that strengthens the butterfly. If it doesn’t have the opportunity to grow through adversity, it never will.”
This Thanksgiving season let’s give thanks to God for the struggles that strengthen us and make us more resilient and resourceful.
John Fletcher is an award-winning public relations consultant through Fletcher Consulting PR, which is based in Arlington. He helps connect clients with their customers and prospects through their local chamber of commerce, community, and industry. He received the Better Business Bureau’s National Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics. John published a daily morning devotional (Run with Endurance), a marketing newsletter (Monthly Musings), and hosts his weekly podcast (15 on Fridays with Fletch).
