A Note of Gratitude

 

As we enter the annual week of Thanksgiving in what has been an extraordinary year so far, I want to convey my tremendous gratitude for each of you. Whether friend, colleague, business partner or family, you have been an incredible support system this year.

While I plan to take some time to sketch out 2021, I hope that we don’t miss taking a bit of time to ponder what 2020 has been. For many of us, it’s the year we learned how to use a mask for the first time, ventured into the world of virtual school or work or picked up a new hobby.

1. I’m grateful for science – it’s all around us, but I had never really pondered the everyday impact of those who use science to keep us safe…doctors, immunologists, researchers, nurses, and so many more. 
2.  I’m grateful for family – one of my favorite memories of this year is spending my mother’s 90^th birthday with her in January surrounded by family and friends laughing and eating together.
   
3. I’m grateful for nature – as many of you know, I spend a lot of time walking. It’s my way of clearing my mind and starting the day and there’s no better way to do that than nature. 
4.  I’m grateful for knowledge – while I didn’t pick up the lockdown hobby of bread baking, I found new ways to stay abreast of everything happening in the world and learned so much this year!

I hope you take some time this week to consider the things you are grateful for. Perhaps you take this time to start a gratitude journal, where you set aside time to write a few things you are grateful for each day. Another option to help you continue your gratitude journey is to take time to write a note to someone who has been of support to you this year – letting them know you appreciate them and to connect with them. Psychology Today has a great post about the science behind gratitude that sheds additional light on this.

Take a little time for you this week – curl up with a cup of tea and meditate on your story. As Michelle Obama wrote in Becoming, “your story is what you have….It is something to own”. May we own our stories starting for a place of gratitude and thanksgiving.