24 Nov What You Appreciate Appreciates
Just as Valentine’s Day reminds us to love, Thanksgiving reminds us to be grateful — every day, regardless of circumstances.
Gratitude has at its root the word Grace, more apparent in the Spanish word gracias, or the Italian gracie.
Grace opens us to an abundance of spirit, a presence that is larger and wiser, guiding us toward an optimum expression of ease and beauty. When we find grace in a yoga pose, we settle in to just the right alignment, that lets the energy move effortlessly. When we open to gratitude, we invite grace to enter us.
We have so much to be thankful for! We are the beneficiaries of what past generations have built for us: the railroads, the schools, the hospitals and airports, the infrastructure that distributes goods, often right to our front door, for the click of a mouse. We have incredible machines that allow us to travel great distances, or others that enable us to connect virtually across the globe. We live lives that former generations could never have dreamed of, yet we tend to take it all for granted.
What shall we do with that gift?
I’m aware that we don’t just call it “Thanks Day,” but Thanks-giving. This means more than just giving thanks, but the joy of giving in general. When farming was a more central part of the culture, that meant sharing our harvest, a sharing that created abundance for the whole community. Today it might be cooking together, working in a soup kitchen to serve the homeless, or donating to those less fortunate. In the act of giving, we make even more room for grace.
What can you bring to your Thanksgiving celebration beyond the dish that you cook? What can you offer? A poem, a song, a story, a prayer? What can you give to those less fortunate, who might have a little less to be thankful for? If we all look at what we can give, rather than what we can get, there is abundantly more for everyone.
It has always been one of our manifestation principles that “what you appreciate appreciates.” If you appreciate your partner, they will become a better mate. If you appreciate your children, they will thrive. If you show your appreciation by caring, then everything you care for will be enhanced: your home, your body, and the world around you. Appreciation is an act of gratitude and grace.
Giving is regenerative, which is why we call it generosity. By giving something back, we regenerate the world. May you have a beautiful regenerative Thanksgiving Day this season, appreciating all you have been given and offering your gifts in return.
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