This time of year can be joyous as well as overwhelming. There are a million things pulling you in every direction. Between celebrating the holidays, food prep, gift shopping, family traditions, and so much more, you can feel lost. At some point, you may feel like you are barely making it through each day. I can tell you I have been there, and I want to share how I gained perspective that helped me navigate this exhausting feeling.
The Power of Being Thankful
One evening while scrolling through social media, I saw a fellow mom say, “I’m so thankful I get to help give my kids a bath tonight.” At first, I didn’t think much of it. Sure, she is thankful to spend time with her kids—that’s great, I thought to myself.
But then a few minutes later, I caught myself wondering when the last time was that I said to myself how thankful I was for getting to do everyday tasks. I went down a rabbit hole, searching my mind and couldn’t think of a time. I told myself right there and then that was not how I wanted to view my life. Rather than taking things for granted, I wanted to focus on the good and on being thankful.
Once I allowed myself to actually take a moment and let this mentality sink in, I felt this huge weight lift off my heart. Too often I had found myself thinking:
- “I’m the only person I know who has to go through this.”
- “No one understands what I’m going through.”
- “Why are things so hard right now?”
It was a lesson I needed to learn only by opening my mind to change. I knew I didn’t enjoy this type of self-talk and I needed to get out of the cycle.
A Different Lens
The best place to begin is by remembering perspective. Give yourself the freedom to see life through a different lens. After that evening, I promised myself I would try to find one moment every day where I could say, “I get to do this today, and I’m thankful for it.” I won’t pretend some days aren’t easier than others, but it is a shift in my perspective that has allowed my heart to stay in a thankful state of mind more often.
I hope this sparks something within your heart this holiday season and further on. Let me know in the comments below or @jones.family.tribe one thing you are thankful you get to do today!
