11-26-2014
Thanksgiving. A time for gratitude. A time for reflecting on and expressing said gratitude to many, for many, and as many times, in as many ways, as we can. We are encouraged to be thankful for many things including: family, friends, good food, food in general (good or not), shelter, clothing, and the list goes on and on and on and on and on and on….You get the point.
Don’t get me wrong, EVERY SINGLE thing you can express gratitude for is immensely important and valuable, no matter the size. I am a FULL-FLEDGED, life-long member of the ‘Look At Life Through Gratitude Glasses’ Society. All this being said and admitted, I have but one question (maybe more, but we’ll start with the one…) :
Are YOU grateful for YOU? Have you thanked YOURSELF, lately?
Egotistical? Self-absorbed? Narcissistic? Not in the least. On a plane, you are advised to first put YOUR life vest on, put YOUR oxygen mask on, before assisting others, even your own children. The same goes for many areas of life. You cannot effectively give, TRULY effectively give, what you don’t already have. If you have no gratitude for yourself, Heroes, then how can you SINCERELY and whole-heartedly GIVE gratitude to others? This Hero Trainer doesn’t believe you can, not, at least, until you FIRST, thank YOURSELF.
Yes, Heroes, look at yourself in the mirror, take off the Hero mask you’ve been creating, close your eyes, and take a breath, one from the deepest parts of your soul and spirit. Now open your eyes and take a good, long look at who and what is looking back at you. Before the all-too-familiar self-criticisms step in (happens to me, too, Heroes, every time I take a peek), I want you to thank yourself. Out loud. In fact, sing it. Shout it. Whisper it. So long as it’s out loud so your whole being can hear it.
Perhaps, at this point, you are thinking, “What am I supposed to thank myself for?” Or maybe you are thinking, “I don’t need to thank myself out loud, I already KNOW I’m grateful for myself.” Whatever you may be thinking, I STILL want you to try this. Come ooooonnnn…. Give it a try. Just once. Unless you like it, then do it every day.
Thank yourself for ANYTHING & EVERYTHING you can. No matter how small it is. Maybe you will opt to thank yourself for just getting out of bed today. Perhaps you will thank yourself for completing that huge project that was looming over your head. Or maybe that project, due weeks ago, is still looming, in which case, thank yourself for not giving up. Heroes, it really doesn’t matter WHAT you thank yourself for, so long as you do it.
If you’re brave enough, share what you are thankful for about yourself in the comments below. We can ALL grow from your examples.
I’ll start: Self, I am so grateful that you push me when I feel like hiding; that you trip me up when I get too full of myself; that you appreciate every calorie I put in you to the point of over-appreciation; and I thank you, Self, for just being YOU…the weird, raw, fun, colorful Hero YOU are. Thank you, self.
Now, my Heroes; now that I’ve thanked myself, first, I can thank each and every one of YOU. In less than a week we’ve got nearly 100 readers, organically. I am truly humbled and tear-kissed by your support. Each of you bless me, my children, and the lives of those around you, daily, in ways we will never truly know. I hope you will share this link with others. Let’s build our Hero readership to the thousands. Not for me, for you. For them.
As you make yourself at home here, please share as often as you'd like in the comments below. Choose to first, thank yourselves for the invaluable HEROES you are. If you need a boost, at the end of each day, before your head hits the pillow, weary for the day to be done, take a moment, a pen, pencil, eye liner…whatever you have nearby with which to write and write at least three things about yourself that you appreciate. Try it. See what happens.
You may surprise yourselves, Heroes. You won’t surprise me, though you are welcome to try, for I already know just how AMAZING you are.
In deepest gratitude,
Lora Ackermann, Grateful Hero Trainer
Thanksgiving. A time for gratitude. A time for reflecting on and expressing said gratitude to many, for many, and as many times, in as many ways, as we can. We are encouraged to be thankful for many things including: family, friends, good food, food in general (good or not), shelter, clothing, and the list goes on and on and on and on and on and on….You get the point.
Don’t get me wrong, EVERY SINGLE thing you can express gratitude for is immensely important and valuable, no matter the size. I am a FULL-FLEDGED, life-long member of the ‘Look At Life Through Gratitude Glasses’ Society. All this being said and admitted, I have but one question (maybe more, but we’ll start with the one…) :
Are YOU grateful for YOU? Have you thanked YOURSELF, lately?
Egotistical? Self-absorbed? Narcissistic? Not in the least. On a plane, you are advised to first put YOUR life vest on, put YOUR oxygen mask on, before assisting others, even your own children. The same goes for many areas of life. You cannot effectively give, TRULY effectively give, what you don’t already have. If you have no gratitude for yourself, Heroes, then how can you SINCERELY and whole-heartedly GIVE gratitude to others? This Hero Trainer doesn’t believe you can, not, at least, until you FIRST, thank YOURSELF.
Yes, Heroes, look at yourself in the mirror, take off the Hero mask you’ve been creating, close your eyes, and take a breath, one from the deepest parts of your soul and spirit. Now open your eyes and take a good, long look at who and what is looking back at you. Before the all-too-familiar self-criticisms step in (happens to me, too, Heroes, every time I take a peek), I want you to thank yourself. Out loud. In fact, sing it. Shout it. Whisper it. So long as it’s out loud so your whole being can hear it.
Perhaps, at this point, you are thinking, “What am I supposed to thank myself for?” Or maybe you are thinking, “I don’t need to thank myself out loud, I already KNOW I’m grateful for myself.” Whatever you may be thinking, I STILL want you to try this. Come ooooonnnn…. Give it a try. Just once. Unless you like it, then do it every day.
Thank yourself for ANYTHING & EVERYTHING you can. No matter how small it is. Maybe you will opt to thank yourself for just getting out of bed today. Perhaps you will thank yourself for completing that huge project that was looming over your head. Or maybe that project, due weeks ago, is still looming, in which case, thank yourself for not giving up. Heroes, it really doesn’t matter WHAT you thank yourself for, so long as you do it.
If you’re brave enough, share what you are thankful for about yourself in the comments below. We can ALL grow from your examples.
I’ll start: Self, I am so grateful that you push me when I feel like hiding; that you trip me up when I get too full of myself; that you appreciate every calorie I put in you to the point of over-appreciation; and I thank you, Self, for just being YOU…the weird, raw, fun, colorful Hero YOU are. Thank you, self.
Now, my Heroes; now that I’ve thanked myself, first, I can thank each and every one of YOU. In less than a week we’ve got nearly 100 readers, organically. I am truly humbled and tear-kissed by your support. Each of you bless me, my children, and the lives of those around you, daily, in ways we will never truly know. I hope you will share this link with others. Let’s build our Hero readership to the thousands. Not for me, for you. For them.
As you make yourself at home here, please share as often as you'd like in the comments below. Choose to first, thank yourselves for the invaluable HEROES you are. If you need a boost, at the end of each day, before your head hits the pillow, weary for the day to be done, take a moment, a pen, pencil, eye liner…whatever you have nearby with which to write and write at least three things about yourself that you appreciate. Try it. See what happens.
You may surprise yourselves, Heroes. You won’t surprise me, though you are welcome to try, for I already know just how AMAZING you are.
In deepest gratitude,
Lora Ackermann, Grateful Hero Trainer