Why should you be thankful…just because it’s Thanksgiving? I know you hear people who make their list of things to be thankful for because it’s Thanksgiving Day; a sort of obligation, if you will.
Did you know that the United States of America hosts the most whiners on the entire planet? Do you know that the USA inhabitants comprise the most wealthy and most ungrateful people of all? I know that you say things like you are thankful for your home, your family, your job, your health….but why? Isn’t that our inalienable right to have those things? Do we not “deserve” to have those things? After all, we are Americans. We live in a land of opportunity and wealth. Maybe we should be thankful that we do not live in a third world country. But, do we even know what that means?
The reason we need to be thankful is because when we have a sense of entitlement and do not have an attitude of gratitude, we also exhibit the most mental and emotional issues of the inhabited world. Americans “have it all” and that includes massive amounts of depression, stress, anger, jealousy, envy, and other health attacking emotional issues.
Besides the obvious…another reason to be Thankful is to live a healthy life and live it to the full. If we are more focused on being thankful for what we have rather than what we don’t have, we are able to live a fulfilling life of contentment and joy.
The PACT paradigm of living life to the most positive extent possible incorporates Perception (the ability to see the bigger picture) Autonomy (to take control of your life) Connectedness (quality of relationships) and Tone (how you feel about your physical self).
Having a thankful heart attitude allows you to stop focusing on the speck in someone else’s eye (their faults) and to see the bigger picture…more of the good and the positive. Autonomy is the ability to take control of your life by choosing to change negative thinking and harmful attitudes. It takes the control of your emotions away from other people and circumstances and puts them back into your own hands. Controlling the way you think and behave allows you to experience real connectedness with others. It gives you the ability to connect on a deep and meaningful level. Finally, taking care of your physical self with rest, proper nutrition, exercise, balance, and reduced stress makes the other parts easier to accomplish. It is difficult even in the best of times to work on the emotional parts of life if you are tired or poorly nourished.
So, why not make a PACT with yourself? There is no down side to it. Why give thanks? Because it serves to give you a life of deeper meaning and fulfillment.
You’re right about not being thankful one day of the year….thankfulness everyday will change your life and the lives of those around you.
