The Spirit of Gratitude
Nov 24, 2024 1:32 am
Hi there,
Next week, we celebrate one of my favorite holidays -- Thanksgiving. This holiday combines two elements that are important for our well-being — celebration and gratitude.
Celebration, from the Latin celebrātiō, means big assembly. In gathering with others for Thanksgiving, we witness and affirm the good that we have accomplished and express gratitude for the results.
Gratitude, from the Latin word gratus, means pleasing or thankful. Gratitude takes the spotlight off our own doing by acknowledging forces outside of us that helped bring about our success. In addition to our mentors, family, and other support people, we might acknowledge that undefinable essential of achievement called grace, luck, or blessing.
When we express our gratitude, we acknowledge our connection with others and to things larger than ourselves. Gratitude stimulates a feeling of safety and support and a softer, quieter, more encompassing state of joy than celebration alone might give us.
When I was growing up, the Thanksgiving celebration was a family affair: two grandparents, two parents, six children, and various family friends. Later, we added boyfriends, spouses, and grandchildren. The party expanded to 15 or more people. That was back in the days before dishwashers!
Thanksgiving always fills me with that warm feeling of family, tradition, and love.
Adnan did not accommodate American holidays in his workshop schedules. His New York Christmas workshop went right through the holiday. And he often planned an extra special workshop on Christmas day.
Fortunately for me, my family was already in the habit of adjusting Christmas plans to the needs of spousal families. Thus Christmas was often celebrated a few days after December 25th. It was also held later in the day, which enabled me to complete the morning workshop and arrive at the family home in time for dinner.
Adnan's workshop schedule, however, rarely interfered with Thanksgiving. Even when I stayed at Sufi camp in the fall or followed him to California, I always made it back home in time for Thanksgiving.
It’s not that Adnan did not like celebrations. Thanksgiving and Christmas were just not his celebrations.
More than a few times, he hosted Middle Eastern dinners of stuffed grape leaves, spanakopita, and baklava for the students and guests after one of his dance shows. They were a rare and delightful treat.
One of the downsides of Thanksgiving is the tendency to overindulge in eating. We tell ourselves it is a special day and it’s ok. And since everyone is thinking the same thing, it is difficult to resist the crowd.
I am reminded of the psychology experiment with chickens and eating. In the experiment, a group of chickens were fed until they were full. Then, new chickens were added into their pen along with more food. As the new chickens began to devour the food, the first set of chickens began eating again.
When people get up from the table for a second helping, the inner chicken often takes over.
Here are my suggestions for resisting the inner chicken.
· Do yoga and or meditate in the morning
· Only eat celery and carrots from the appetizer plate
· Drink water with the meal
· Take small portions of each dish
· Eat protein with vegetables, and limit starches
· Eat slowly and savor each bit so that your plate is still full when others get up for seconds
· Take a long break before having dessert.
· Help clean up the dishes and/or go for a walk.
· Move to another room and engage in thoughtful conversation before serving dessert
Many thanks to all of you who have joined me in my Sufi Classes. These classes are at the top of my gratitude list.
Join Sufi Class: Sunday, November 24th, 8:00 am PST and Tuesday, November 26th at 10:30 am PST
The Zoom LINK: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88050735178?pwd=zkrVoc4Mtg0pSXtAAWmoCrHWQb2qb1.1
Don’t forget to use SUFI all in caps if you are asked for the password.
Be brilliant,
Dr. Michelle
Life Transformation Coach
Empowering Women to Reinvent Their Life After Loss
Secrets of Life and Death
