Being Grateful in The Season of Giving

Have you ever had a christmas season where you didn't receive a christmas gift or card? Or what you received from a loved one, family member, friend, coworker is disappointing?

How do you find Gratitude?

Can we find gratitude in the simple action of one given to another. Or is it just about the size of expense of the gift? Or even receiving no gift? Which is then equated to either being forgotten or just not feeling important. 

Where do you find Gratitude?

Is the gratitude in the season or in the gift receiving? It is often easy to feel lonely and left out during the season of giving, because the focus is on receiving. So here is some tips for those to get through this season for those who are single, no family members or real solid friendships.

1. Look around you and be grateful for being above ground. And every time you begin to feel that feeling of unimportance remind yourself, you are above ground.

2. Use your Imagination to remove yourself from a place of self pity or sorrow to another time place or era, meaning you are seeing yourself as someone else in a life long ago or a life to be lived in the future. Make your own mental motion picture. Fill it with whatever details that can pour you out of that space of lack of gratitude.

3. Drown yourself in a great romance novel or your favorite book of any kind that has to bring you joy. It has to bring you joy.

4. Seek out other families or organizations that want people to vista during the holidays, or maybe volunteer at a pet shelter if you love animals, volunteer to serve at the coal food shelter. Involve yourself in some kind of exercise. If you have access to your favorite movie, watch it over and over. The goal here is to find Joy and something to be grateful for.

5. Last but not least, Make a list of all the things you are grateful for. Be detailed. The silliest and smallest things. Post a list to remind you. If you still can't find the gratefulness in this season. Remind yourself again. You are In fact, Above ground.

Uniquely Beverly.