Because the question “Will Thanksgiving become a casualty of Black Friday?” was raised when the first freeze in Kansas only slightly beat the Christmas ads, I’m sharing Ingrid Peschke’s article #GratitudeChallenge: From the Trivial to the Transformational via Huffpost HealthyLiving as a reminder that, no matter what the season, the transformational benefits of giving thanks makes it worth the effort of cultivating a disciplined habit of gratitude. Enjoy the excerpt below and click the link that follows it to read the full article.
My Facebook feed this summer included a steady stream of lists from friends who accepted one of the numerous gratitude challenges circulating social media spheres. I read their posts with curious interest, but I secretly hoped I wouldn’t be asked to take on the challenge, too!
Sharing gratitude in an open forum can sometimes come off as trite. Besides, people seem to be popping gratitude like it’s the latest wonder drug. A recent Salon.com article addresses the current Western trend toward gratitude and mindfulness as a kind of “spiritual meritocracy,” or spirituality lite. The author writes:
You know what I’m talking about. When I go to yoga, I’m often surrounded by wealthy white women who can afford expensive classes and Lululemon threads. When I scroll through my Facebook feed, I see exclamations of bourgeois spirituality (“Staying at the Waldorf tonight! #gratitude #blessed #100happydays #livelife”).
The author continues:
We are told that if we are grateful enough, if we put enough happy energy into the universe, then we will be rewarded with material wealth and earthly pleasures. (Think “The Secret.”)
Still, gratitude carries benefits that far outweigh the trivial, or gratitude for the sake of gain, which defeats the purpose. I’ve written blogs about its benefits and I’ve read plenty of them, too. I’ve also experienced the great healing benefit of expressing gratitude.