Coaching Corner: Embracing Gratitude and Finding Beauty in the Everyday This Thanksgiving
By Master Coach Marilou Butcher Roth
Thanksgiving is next week, and amidst the flurry of preparation, I love to reflect on how well I am living in a place of appreciation. It is so easy to fall into our routines and take for granted those things in our lives that create joy or beauty or a sense of peace. Just yesterday morning, while doing my morning reading, I became aware of the sunrise, which was absolutely spectacular. Putting down my book, I was able to enjoy several minutes of full-out appreciation. Now, that is not always the case.There are countless days where I know I am missing out on many things because I allow myself to get caught up in the “doing” part of my day, which made me stop and ask:how many sunrises have I missed in the name of productivity?
Many years ago, a dear friend suggested using a “gratitude journal”, identifying items at the end of the day that I could truly appreciate, from minor to big; size does not matter when it comes to appreciation. Gratitude journaling was something that I did for years, and honestly, I am not sure why that practice became obsolete.
Appreciation is an amazing way of keeping yourself in a good feeling space. It is all too easy to see the things we don’t like, and yet, I promise you when you start to really look, you will notice far more items to appreciate.
Today, tomorrow, and on, play with this idea - set an intention at the beginning of each day to look for things that you can appreciate. You may surprise yourself!
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your families!
