Every November I get very excited for Thanksgiving. Troubling historical context not withstanding, it’s my favorite holiday because I love spending time with family and I love eating food. I also think the reminder to be thankful and give thanks is hugely helpful in recognizing what’s great about our lives and the world. Most years we go around the table and give at least one thing we are grateful for. This is something we should do every day! If we cultivate a deep appreciation for people and aspects of our lives that are great, we will be more healthy and happy.
This week’s question in the dojo is: If you only had one day left on Earth, would you still be doing the things you’re doing? While some of us are lucky enough to have our days filled with what we love, most people will say no. They might do some of the things they are already doing, but almost everyone will stay away from work, severely curb their social media and TV time, and generally live more in the present.
The next question you might ask yourself then is: Why do I keep doing these things that I wouldn’t do on my last day? Why waste my time on things that don’t really bring me joy? This is a great question to ask, and you may not come up with a good enough answer to justify a large chunk of your daily routine.
The flip side of this would be to focus on the aspects of life you are thankful for. You will find what you’re looking for. As the bible says, seek and ye will find. Look for something you don’t like and you’ll find it. Look for what you love and it’s all you’ll see.
What we really want is a good balance. We can be thankful without being complacent. If we are honest with ourselves, we can see at least a few things that we should change in our lives to be more in line with our highest self. We can still recognize so much to be thankful for. One should not stop us from the other. We may even find some things in life that we are thankful for, yet we are also very invested in improving.
In martial arts, one of our goals is to improve technique. When we look at a strike or a Tai Chi posture, we must see where we can improve and get to work. We should also recognize what we are doing well so that we can keep doing it, but also to keep ourselves energized in our practice.
This month, I encourage you to look in both directions. What are you thankful for? Remind yourself often. Where are you being complacent? Choose an area to improve and take action. While you work to improve, focus on the process rather than the result and keep in mind what you can be grateful for.
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