Copyright © 2020 Lee Spirit 

It’s Canadian Thanksgiving where I live, so it’s time once again to embrace gratefulness! But this past year has been a doozie for so many people, so you may wonder how we can possibly give thanks in times like these! There is so much suffering, dying, loss of employment, homes, and income. There are protests, discrimination, political and economic unrest, stress, and natural disasters!

These are challenging times indeed for a lot of people. But there are some ways to keep both an attitude and a vibration of gratefulness during the most difficult of circumstances. What do I mean by that? You may have heard the phrase, “Adopt an attitude of gratitude!” This means simply choosing to be grateful, even when things go sour in your life. Rather than being negative about what’s going on around you, you start to feel more positive, appreciative, and accepting.

What you may not have heard before is that we need to go beyond “attitude” and really start feeling gratefulness at the root of our souls. When we feel things inside of us deeply, we start “vibrating” at a higher frequency because we feel positive within. When we truly feel positive within, it is felt by others. Then they, too, will start to feel your sense of calmness during the calamity.

You are doing good spiritual work for the benefit of others just by maintaining your level of peace and calm around others who are feeling bad. I have often struggled with life purpose. But know that your purpose can be as simple as vibrating love, peace, calm, and positivity that will be felt by others around you. It will support their inner peace too.

One way to vibrate at a higher frequency and feel a sense of gratefulness is to be outside in nature. This past weekend I visited the falls in the photo above. I have never been there before, but it was so refreshing to stand above these falls and see the colours of the Fall leaves. I could hear the rushing water as it tumbled down what looks like a staircase of rock. This really recharged my spirit! I highly recommend spending time in nature like this. Nature stands tall and steady for us when times are tough.

Keep in mind that we can be grateful even when times are tough and uncertain. I love this quote from Dr. Barbara de Angelis, author of a great book called “Soul Shifts”. She writes, “You can be in discomfort and still be grateful. You can acknowledge that you are in an uncomfortable or unhappy time, but also allow your consciousness to notice and feel gratitude for the lessons you are learning, or the friends who are supporting you, or the unexpected blessings your challenge is bringing you”.

It may be very painful what you’re going through, but when you see the good that arises from what is both present and absent, then you cultivate a greater sense of gratitude. Start noticing what is absent. I have been working from home for nearly 7 months now, and there has been a horrendously loud noise of construction across the street from me every day. But on the weekends, ahhh…Suddenly there is peace in the land! I enjoy the absence of noise on the weekends, and someday, like maybe when the snow falls soon, the construction will end and my street will be quiet once again!

Shift your perspective like this a little bit, and you’ll find it’s easy to experience gratefulness in any situation. Think about these things, and take note of what you are happy about, and what you’re not happy about. Then find something to be and feel deeply thankful for, even in the not-so-pleasant things. There’s always something to be thankful for! I hope this helps shift your vibration to gratitude. Happy Thanksgiving!

Read more about gratitude here: Gratitude For Change: the Shifting Element of Water

Lee Spirit is an avid outdoors adventurer with a love for nature, photography, health & fitness, wellness, and spirituality. Her own personal journey has led her to the  study and practice of mindfulness, health, wellness, yoga, spirituality, sound healing, meditation, and personal development for over 20 years. Learn more about Mindfulness here!