Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Give Thanks to Yourself


  
Much is said about gratitude this time of year.  Giving thanks fosters more joy in life.  It can’t be denied.  The more you are grateful, the more joy grows inside.

But consider this:  give thanks to yourself as well.

After many years of practicing gratitude daily, it occurred to me to begin to thank myself for all I had done for others and the world. It’s a great truth that you are no doubt a gift to others.  I shared this idea with a friend who is a mother.  She loved it for mothers give so much of themselves.  It’s easy for their cup to run dry.

It was such a new concept at first I only did it occasionally – gave thanks to myself for what I had done for others that day, small and large things, thoughts, gestures, wisdom, or even just a smile; often little things that gave others a bit of brightness to their day.  But eventually, after breaking through that barrier of awkwardness and self-consciousness at honoring myself, I made it a regular part of my daily gratitude ritual.

We are gifts to the world.  We are gifts to each other.  It’s important to recognize it.

Photo:  Stock.xchnge

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