This week we celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday. It’s a tradition in my family, as in many, to share what we are most grateful for and what makes us happy.
On Gratitude.
Gratefulness expands every aspect of our lives: family, friends, work, health, and our spirituality. This quote by best-selling author, Melody Beattie, resonated with me on the power of gratitude:
“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity… It turns problems into gifts, failures into success, the unexpected into perfect timing, and mistakes into important events. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.” — Melody Beattie
On Happiness.
I was struck by a passage in the book “Search Inside Yourself” by Chade-Meng Tan, a Google engineer. Meng developed Google’s emotional intelligence course, and this excellent book is based on his research and course content.
In the second chapter, he shares a mindfulness meditation. He suggests that happiness is the default state of mind, and when the mind becomes clear and calm, happiness exists – or returns. He believes happiness is not something you pursue, but something you allow. It arises from just being.
As you approach the holiday season, keep in mind your gratitude and happiness. Find time to reflect on what you are most grateful for. Carve out some “me” time to just be – to calm the mind and return to your happiness default.
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