It’s easy to be thankful for the mashed potatoes and gravy of our lives.

You know, those rich, scrumptious moments when everything is going well.

But what about when it isn’t?

What about those angst-filled, up-all-night-times that make us question what it’s all about?

If you’re like me, you’ve had far too many of those moments this last year.

There’s so much we can’t control in life. But we can control how we look at it.

I’ve found that the most powerful way to get through a crisis, a challenge or a change is to find the gift in our struggles.

For me, that gift has meant discovering a warrior-like strength that I didn’t know I had.  And being able to find my voice in situations that used to render me speechless (or hysterical.)

Of course, it takes some time, some perspective and some attitude-shifting to find those gifts.

Here are some tips to help you find the blessings among life’s stressings:

SAVOR THE GOOD STUFF.
Life is like a Thanksgiving feast. You can choose to focus on the moist stuffing or the dry turkey. It’s up to you. But I’ll tell you this, the more you look for the good stuff in any meal, person or situation, the more you’ll find. Of course, the opposite is true, too.

STUFFING IS FOR BIRDS.
Shoving our feelings inside is a recipe for disaster. Give yourself permission to feel whatever comes up—sadness, fear, grief, anger, whatever. And then, get those feelings out. Talk them out. Walk them out. Cry them out. Shout them out.  It might not be pretty. But it will create more room for joy.

TAKE IT ONE MORSEL AT A TIME.
When we’re going through stuff, it helps to take a deep breath and say to yourself: “Everything is okay in this moment.” We need to re-train our brains to stay present and grateful for what is, instead of getting lost in what could have been or might happen. (Definitely work in progress for me.)

COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS INSTEAD OF CALORIES.
This Thanksgiving, I am definitely giving myself the day off from stressing over fats, carbs, gluten and sugar.  But rather than a feeding frenzy, I am hoping to fill up on gratitude.  To find the gift in every moment. And remember that even the uncomfortable ones are nourishing—- helping us grow into the fullness of Who We Are.

CHEW ON THIS LITTLE POEM I WROTE:

Thanks for life’s joys
And even life’s oy’s

The blues and the blahs
The bliss and aah-hahs

The mess and the stress
The gifts and the lifts

Though far from utopia,
Bless this whole cornucopia

WISHING YOU A VERY HAPPY THANKSGIVING.

I’m so grateful to be able to share my musings and schmoozings with you.

And I know we’d all be so grateful to hear your thoughts about changing angst into thanks. Just share below.
xoxo Wendi