Thanksgiving has come and gone and we're in December. Wow that happened fast. Did you have the holiday weekend you wanted? I hope while you enjoyed quality time with friends and family that you dared to show true glimpses of yourself in all the hustle and bustle. Being ourselves is such a gift to others. As I get
older, I find I would rather spend time with people who want the real me to come to dinner.
We’re officially in the holiday season now. Unfortunately, it’s not always a happy time for more people than we
realize. I’ve had years myself where I wished I could go to sleep the first of November and wake up mid-January.
I talked with a friend a few days ago who was feeling down and discouraged. When she came to my mind
this morning, I suddenly had the thought to call and reassure her to hang on, because the blackberries will be here in the spring.
I know that seems so random, but she and I love fresh blackberries. Though
life feels bleak for her at the moment, she needs to remember that blackberries show up without fail, year in and year out. And when we’re down, we have to remember that troubles are cyclical also. Rarely is it all bad, all the time.
Then I got the bright idea that we could create seasonal reminders from our higher selves, so that no matter what time of year it is, we can remind ourselves what we love about the season we’re in.
Especially if we're feeling discouraged, we can remember what we love in any season that coincides with the struggle we’re in. (There may be hard times, but we don't want to miss the gifts concurrently available to give us hope and joy.) These seasonal reminders would help us hold both extremes simultaneously, knowing that it’s not all bad, even though it may feel that way.
A therapist asked me one time, “When’s the last time you heard the birds?” It had been a while. But from that day on, I could hear them again. I just needed a gentle reminder to listen for them—to realize that gifts always coexist with challenges.
How awesome would it be to have a handy gratitude reference that we’ve made of the things we value for every month of the year? Then when our spirits need lifting, we can consult with our higher selves who wrote these things down for us in advance, for the moments when
we can barely lift our heads, much less our outlooks.
Let me show you what I mean. I will work backwards using recent inspiration.
In November, I love the spirit of gratitude and the calendar reminder to reflect on what is going well in my life and what has landed in a better place, now comparied to last year, or five years ago.
In October, I relish the autumn color and leaves falling from trees like glitter, or confetti. It’s like the universe is throwing a big party and we are invited at every turn. Oh, and I
love the first bonfire!
In September, I like riding the edge of summer into fall. When I'm not quite ready for fall, another summer day will
come back to greet me, and I am eased into cooler temperatures ever so gently. And if I'm lucky, there's a last run to the beach!
In August, I love to bask in
the heat of the day outside petting cats or doing whatever, letting the warmth of the sun consume me. I love enjoying flowers in their prime and bringing cut flowers inside. I love the occasional hint that the seasons are shifting, that change is coming, but not yet.
So for instance, if I’m feeling low in August, I can refer to my seasonal gratitude guide to make sure I’m not missing what I usually love so much about August. Because maybe if times are hard, I’ve forgotten what that was. I need to make sure I’m soaking up enough sun and surrounding myself with flowers. When we’re down in the dumps, we forget these things. If it’s written down during better times and saved for future access,
we can grab a spiritual vitamin anytime we need to.
Is this corny? Maybe. I still think it’s a worthwhile experiment. What have we got to lose? At the very least, it’s a fun way to stir up more gratitude which is
always a welcome treat for mind, body and soul.
Happy week-after-Thanksgiving! May your gratitude list be extra long!
PS
Thanksgiving weekend traditionally includes a heaping helping of amazing Black Friday and Cyber Monday
specials. Did you nab any great deals? Perhaps you picked up one of the holiday specials I offered? If you missed those, two are still available for December, The other two are officially over, but because you are just that special, I'll let you have an extension until midnight tonight. See announcements below!
