How to Be Thankful

It's Thanksgiving time, so it seems as if everyone is talking about being thankful. But it's so easy to forget about all the blessings we're given when things get busy. How do we remember to express thanksgiving for our lives on the other 364 days of the year? Today, in celebration of Thanksgiving, let's explore How to Be Thankful.

There are a lot of different tips and tricks out there for being thankful. You could keep a gratitude journal or start including thanksgiving in your daily prayers. (<- both are good ideas) But there's one main practice that can keep us in a thankful state of mind all year round: mindfulness.

What is mindfulness?

Mindfulness has been a buzz word for a little while now, but unlike many trends and fads, I think mindfulness is here to stay. It's such a simple idea but it's hard to master.

Mindfulness is the act of being present. Not getting lost on social media, in an awesome Netflix show, or simply in our own brains. Mindfulness is grounding - it helps us slow down and experience our lives instead of rushing through them.

How do I practice mindfulness?

Mindfulness isn't complicated. Simply take a deep breath and feel the air moving through your lungs. Do this a couple times a day and you've just started a mindfulness practice.

There is, of course, much more you can explore with mindfulness. Meditation and prayer especially. I don't claim to be a master or an expert so I encourage you do do your own research and discover a deeper mindfulness practice for yourself.

What I do know about mindfulness is what I do myself. I try to ground myself in my physical actions: what I'm eating, how my body moves, etc. This allows me to get out of my anxiety-filled head and live in the moment. (Easier said than done, of course.)

How to be thankful

It's Thanksgiving after all. Mindfulness can help us remember to be thankful.

By taking the time to breathe, to think about our physical self, to be present in the current moment, we will naturally start to appreciate life's gifts a little more. As we become more present, we will start to notice the little things. The things we wouldn't have paid attention to if we weren't, well, paying attention.

It's in these moments - the ones where we're focused and present - that we can see all the blessings we truly have. And in that, we can be thankful.