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People look at me like I'm insane when I tell them that Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year. I know it's not the most popular one to love but believe me my enjoyment of this holiday goes well beyond the food and the football. Thanksgiving it's all about gratitude and abundance.
It's about celebrating the fruits of a long year's worth of hard labor, and harvesting what you have spent months cultivating. Isn't that an incredible metaphor for life? What if we all spent time cultivating success and then took the time to celebrate and be grateful for the abundance that comes of that hard work? In this era of instant gratification, it can seem like a foreign concept to have to wait a few months for the results of our work. It's a challenge to have to wait for your reward, instead of getting it via next day shipping. Here's some food for thought as you celebrate this great holiday.
Have you ever planted seeds with a kid? Have you ever explained to them how this little hard thing gets buried in the dirt and eventually turns into something awesome? Watching their faces is pretty cool. Then watching their diligence as they water it and make sure that it's in the sunlight, in the window. Finally, watching their excitement as that first sprout comes is so fun. It can give you a huge appreciation for patience and the importance of consistency. My favorite part is when the seed turns into whatever plant they were hoping it would be, and they are in utter amazement of what they have created. What if you treated yourself, your health, your body like that seed? Fed it the nutrients it needs, gave it adequate water and sunlight. Cared for it consistently day after day...I bet you'd blossom into something incredible.
When you look in the mirror right now you may see something that resembles nothing of what you would like to see. What's important is to know that deep down there is a seed of hope. I promise you, if you give it the nutrients it needs, give it the fresh air and sunlight, consistently, the change will happen. It will be slow and steady, very little of it may happen where you can actually see it. Much of it will happen beneath the surface, where no one knows it's happening. Then suddenly, one day everyone says, "Oh wow! Look at you." They will comment on how, seemingly overnight, you grew and changed. But we know the truth, that it took days and days of consistent care to create the physical body you wanted to see in that mirror.
What would happen if your body didn't get watered for a few days? What would happen if it was hidden from the light? It might survive, but it wouldn't flourish. The one surety is, if you give your body what it needs consistently, day after day, it will bloom. It takes months of hard work to see any results. After working diligently and consistently, eventually your success is abundant! That's reason to celebrate!
Are you at that point, at which a celebration is in order? Are you still caring for your body and helping it to change and grow? If you're ready to celebrate, do it! If not, be a little more mindful of the choices you make this week. The good news is, unlike that seed, you won't drop dead if you eat too much pumpkin pie (at least not tomorrow). However, when you don't nourish your body properly, you do reduce your life expectancy. Luckily, we are a more hearty than the average seed, so we can withstand some ups and downs, as it pertains to our diet. As long as we maintain the general direction of good nourishment, good exercise and a healthy lifestyle, we will continue to grow in a positive direction.
This week as you gather with friends and family, focus more on the attitude of gratitude. Be grateful for the body you have that allows you to do the things you are able to do. Be grateful for the abundant opportunities you have to treat your body well. Fill your plate with love and gratitude, healthy nourishing foods, and quality time spent with loved ones. That will surely help your "seed" to grow.
While you are spending time with your loved ones this week, take the opportunity to share your goals with them. Tell them how excited you are about being healthier. Thank them for their support ahead of time. If you share your goals and the reasons behind them, they are much more likely to encourage you instead of teasing you for being "the healthy one". Even if you are teased for being the healthy one, take it as a compliment! No one ever teases the sick one. Your friends and family who are teasing you, are doing so because they wish they could be as disciplined and healthy as you are. Encourage them to join you in your journey and be grateful for the motivation to keep going. Enjoy this harvest celebration and the abundance around you. It always feels better when you've worked hard for it!
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