During the past few years I’ve been casually gathering information about how people can improve various aspects of their lives by changing the way they think. For example, I’ve read several studies showing that a grateful mindset can lead to a surprising host of physical and mental benefits.
Spices — The Center for Diversity Education
Since I’ve become a mom, I’ve also become more attuned to the concept of Thanksgiving. My daughter was born on Thanksgiving Day ten years ago, and my son was born in November as well, so this time of year holds a lot of meaning for me. Even though the historic fact of Thanksgiving is more complex and less rosy than we sometimes like to believe, I still love the ideal behind the holiday. I hate the way it is shortchanged between Halloween and Christmas.
That’s why I wrote a feature story on gratitude this fall. I got a big bucket full of positive energy by attending a Seasons of Gratitude Road Show by the Center for Diversity Education. I am truly grateful for that experience! I also enjoyed speaking with different people about how they deliberately and meaningfully incorporate a practice of gratitude in their lives. They approached gratitude from different angles, but they had many commonalities in how this mindset affected their lives. I wish I could have included more of their comments in the final story, but newspaper space is always limited.
Here is a link to the story, which ran in the Hendersonville Times-News yesterday. I hope you find it meaningful as we get ready for Thanksgiving this week.
Elizabeth Jennings 