3 Simple, Powerful Gratitude Exercises to Put You in the Thanksgiving Mindset
It's T minus two days from Thanksgiving, which means you have just 48 hours to wrap up all your loose ends at work, finish your grocery shopping, pack for your trip, decorate your home, figure out how the heck to roast a turkey—can you feel your blood pressure rising? What would happen if, instead of rushing and stressing, you just...didn't? Positive vibes guru, #1 New York Times best-selling author, and Well+Good Council member Gabby Bernstein says getting into the Thanksgiving mindset is all about taking control of the negative energy you put out into the world, and choosing to project positivity and gratitude instead. Turns out, doing so is easier than you might think.
What are the stories you tell yourself every day?
We all tell ourselves stories about who we are and what life is like. Maybe your story is that you’re always tired and stressed out. Maybe it’s that you just can’t make a relationship work, or maybe it centers around a health issue.
The negative stories we tell ourselves limit our capacity for joy and limit the ways in which we can serve the world. Simply by repeating them and believing them, they become our reality.
The negative stories we tell ourselves limit our capacity for joy and limit the ways in which we can serve the world.
Our thoughts and the stories we tell ourselves either pollute the world or elevate the world. They either trap us or liberate us. Therefore, it’s our responsibility to be consciously aware of our thoughts—not only so that we can feel better, but also so that we can begin to put out a better energetic vibration and help heal the world.
As Thanksgiving approaches, I want to offer you three easy, powerful gratitude exercises that will put you in the Thanksgiving mindset. Practice them daily—not just during the holiday season, but all year long. And expect miracles.
Keep reading for 3 simple exercises you can use to share your gratitude this Thanksgiving (and beyond).
1. Begin the day with gratitude
Wake up each morning and start your day by saying thank you. Say it out loud: "Thank you for a new day. Thank you for revealing to me what it is I need to know so I can move forward. Thank you for showing me where to go today, and what to do. Thank you for showing me who I can connect with."
And then pick up your journal and make a list of all the specific things you’re thankful for, big and small. Fill a couple of pages with your list—just pick up your pen and let it flow. This simple action catapults you into an energy of gratitude and happiness. I know it because I make a gratitude list every single day.
2. Play the appreciation game
Similar to writing down what you’re thankful for, you can begin the practice of what I call “the appreciation game” by speaking your gratitudes out loud. Practice with a partner, with a friend, or just by yourself when you’re walking around, going throughout your day. Particularly when I'm in the car with my husband and we're stuck in traffic, I will begin the appreciation game. You might say, "I appreciate you for the dinner that you cooked tonight." Or, "I appreciate you for taking care of me." Or, "I appreciate you for making the bed every morning." Make the simple, conscious choice to say why we appreciate each other.
Make the simple, conscious choice to say why we appreciate each other.
This is something I challenge you to bring to your dinner tables on Thanksgiving. Some families have a practice of saying what they're grateful for. Maybe that's not something your family is into, but experiment with the idea of bringing this conversation to the dining table during the holidays. Just go around and say out loud, "This is why I appreciate you."
3. Give the gift of gratitude
Another thing you can do is, in lieu of a gift, give somebody a beautiful, heartfelt letter of appreciation. I think that's probably the kindest gift ever: a gorgeous letter of appreciation. We don't say it enough. And we don’t receive it enough. By putting out gratitude, you will receive more of it in return.
Commit to these three practices and you will experience a profound shift. You will release your old, limiting stories by focusing on all that you’re grateful for. In doing so, you will raise your vibration and attract more of what you want into your life! And most importantly, you’ll become a force for good in a world that desperately needs it.
To learn more about how to attract positive energy, join Gabby for her Super Attractor Workshop (available via Livestream) on November 30th. The workshop is free when you preorder her new book, Judgment Detox. Gabby Bernstein is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Universe Has Your Back, and her other best sellers include Miracles Now, May Cause Miracles, Add More ~ing to Your Life, and Spirit Junkie. She is the founder of the Spirit Junkie Masterclass training and the Miracle Membership. Oprah’s SuperSoul Sunday named her a “next-generation thought leader,” and The New York Times called her “a new role model.” She appears regularly on The Dr. Oz Show and Today. Follow her on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
What should Gabby write about next? Send your questions and suggestions to experts@www.wellandgood.com.
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