Tis the season when gratitude is in the air (can you smell it?).
Wait, that may be the pumpkin pie.
Anyway, Thanksgiving is a time of reflection. A time where we look back on the year with an emphasis on what we are grateful. I love this time of year because we have a chance to focus on the positives in our lives, instead of rehashing all the embarrassing screw ups and regrets. Those we save for New Year’s Resolutions- example: “My New Year’s Resolution this year is that I won’t overindulge during the holidays and put on 10 pounds.” Or one of my favorites while I was single, “Next year, I will date a different kind of guy.”
But I digress.
We can all find something we are thankful for, but some of us may have to look a little harder.
One year, while in the throes of a Myasthenia Gravis crisis, I spent the evening in bed listening to my happy family downstairs laughing, talking and best of all, eating. I remember thinking how lucky they were to be able to swallow food as I hadn’t done so for a very long while.
I longed to join them but as I laid there, I also wondered about all the others who were unable to be with their families due to illness just like me.
Then it hit me.
We may not be able to control our situations, but we can control how we perceive them.
It’s easy to have a pity party when things don’t go as planned, but unfortunately, that’s life. After we’ve had a chance to grieve our losses, it’s time to reframe our circumstances.
And Thanksgiving is a perfect time for this.
We can look at the glass have empty or half full, the decision is ours. I choose to fill my glass full of champagne every chance I get (metaphorically speaking).
Even in the depths of disease, we can choose to be thankful. Here are a few things those with chronic diseases like me can be thankful for:
The bar may be low, but it’s deep and full of gifts we never knew were available to us. We have the opportunity to see things from a different angle than the other ‘normal’ folks.
And to appreciate fully all the beauty this world has to offer – something I am truly thankful for.
About the Author:
Lisa Douthit is the author of Amazon’s #1 bestselling book, Wellness Warrior – Fighting for Life in Fabulous Shoes and an Integrative Health Consultant who is passionate about healing from all perspectives. After struggling with multiple bouts of cancer and an autoimmune disease, no one understands the physical, spiritual, and emotional roller coaster better than she does. As one of the 40 million American women currently suffering with an autoimmune disease, she made it her mission to have a voice for all those with an invisible illness that cannot, as well as share the understanding of lessons available to us through health issues
She has a private Facebook Group called Wellness Warrior Tribe for all those with chronic illness looking for support and encouragement. For more out of the box thinking what is guaranteed to bring you joy, Like her Facebook Page here or join the tribe here.
