Practicing Thanks on Black Friday

Thanksgiving represents a time in our nation's history when the first European settlers feared they would not have enough food to survive through the winter. The Native Americans taught the new settlers how to grow and reap local foods and to protect themselves against the impending cold. As a result, they were able to survive, and feasted with the Native Americans as a symbol of brotherhood. On Thanksgiving Day, we remember to be grateful for the abundance that we have, and look for abundance in places where it seems we have none.

Thanksgiving Day is right around the corner, and with it comes the infamous Black Friday. One of the busiest shopping days of the year in the US, Black Friday arrives with deep discounts at many major retail stores to kick off the holiday shopping season.

We live in a country where we have so much food we throw 40 million tons of it away each year. Much of our culture now revolves around things that are single-use or disposable. We buy and throw away and buy again. We have more abundance than could have been fathomed on the first Thanksgiving.

The past few years have been economically challenging for many Americans, and to many of us the ability to buy presents for our friends and family is loaded with the symbolic weight of our ability to provide. But studies show that the satisfaction of obtaining material possessions is dwarfed by spending quality time with family and friends. Abstaining from overindulgence or even just not purchasing things regularly helps you to appreciate those things more when you do need to buy it. Many shoppers find that the experience of shopping and finding the deal is far more thrilling than having the things that they bought. That high disappears once they get home with all their stuff, sometimes with hundreds of dollars of added debt.

Rather than dropping your hard earned money on deals that you may not need, let your appreciation for abundance from Thanksgiving Day carry over into Black Friday and into the Holiday Season. Talk to your family about celebrating the holidays by doing something fulfilling together. Go on a camping trip, teach someone a family recipe, donate to a charity they feel strongly about, make a playlist of your favorite songs for someone, volunteer together. Thanksgiving is about sharing the wealth, and even with our recession, we have more than enough wealth to give. Like the name implies, it's not just about Thanks, it's about being Giving too! Remember to share the love. And until next time, keep it clean!

The Importance of Being Grateful

   I enjoy this quote by Shawnee Native America Leader Tecumseh that says, "When you arise in the morning, give thanks for the morning light, for your life and strength. Give thanks for your food and the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies within yourself."
   Expressing gratitude is one of the most important things you can do to empower yourself and better your life. By showing that you are thankful for all that is around you, the universe will reward you with similar enlightening occurrences. Some might even claim that having and showing gratitude is the secret to health, wealth, and everlasting success. No matter who or where you are currently in your life, practicing gratitude can and will make a difference to help launch you in the best direction possible.
   Without getting too 'out there' in terms of Quantum physics and The Law of Attraction, I will skip the deeper stuff and instead give you examples on ways to improve your vibrational frequency by practicing gratitude daily.

1. Count your blessings - Every morning when you first wake up, write a list of at least 10 things that you are currently thankful for. Briefly explain why you are grateful for them and thank them accordingly. 
2. Write thank you notes - Take a few minutes to write a thank you note (or several) to someone who has helped or inspired you. List the reasons why you love them and all that you are grateful for. You don't even have to send the letter to them! The act of writing your gratitude is enough. 
3. Meditate on gratitude - Try sitting for a couple of minutes each day and just think about the things that you love and are thankful to have in your life. Start with 3 minutes and work your way up, a couple minutes more each day. Ideally, it's best to meditate around 15-20 minutes per day.
4. Keep a gratitude journal - Write daily about the things in your life that you are grateful for. You can take the journal with you and write down events as they take place. Or you can leave it by your bedside and write a nightly synopsis of your wonderful days.
5. Give up complaining - Complaining is one of the most draining and negative thought-producing things you can do. Try to vow not to complain (or at least take notice of when you are and try to change!). Do this for a week to see how much better and more positive you feel!

   These are just a few of many things you can do daily to increase your feelings of gratitude. I promise that the more you do, the more abundant your life will become. For further study on the Law of Attraction and Quantum physics, I highly recommend the documentary "What the Bleep Do We Know?," The Secret books by Rhonda Byrne, and the teachings of Abraham-Hicks, of which you can find a plethora of videos on YouTube. That's all for now, have a happy, gratitude-filled day! And remember:

   Thank you and stay clean! :)

Give Thanks

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving Day yesterday. Traditionally, the holiday is spent with our loved ones (family and friends) and we all give thanks for the many things in our lives that we are grateful for. But what happens the day after? Do we still say thanks for the great things in our lives? A lot of people go right from being thankful to pushing and shoving in lines at stores to buy "things" that aren't really necessary (they are wants not needs).

Instead, why not keep the feeling of gratitude going by giving to those who have less than we do? If you are off today, why not donate your time and energy at a soup kitchen, food pantry, or nursing home? You may also consider helping out a neighbor or family member with things on their to-do list. Helping others is a great way of passing on our gratitude. It keeps the holiday season positive and full of hope. And isn't that what the holidays SHOULD be about?

Until next time, keep it clean!!