Despite Thanksgiving’s questionable moral background and ties to family feuds and violent department store mobbing, it’s not a holiday to scoff at. The act of giving thanks may be the perfect antidote to holiday season (and daily) stress.
If society had to develop again from scratch for some apocalyptic reason, I, for one, would be screwed. I’d be bringing back the days of cave sleeping and eating berries off a bush. Fire? Forget it. Take a look at a chair. Could you build that? Could you, with your bare hands, assemble a chair that’s not only functional, but comfortable? (Some people could. Whatever. I’ll be over here on my tree stump.) Don’t even get me started on light bulbs, paved roads, nail clippers, cell phones! I’m so thankful that genius people have come along and mastered the technology that makes our modern world increasingly efficient and comfortable— the stuff I take for granted every moment of the day.
When I get mad that my WiFi is too slow, I like to remind myself that the internet itself is a complex, magical mystery that has altered the course of history, and I’m lucky enough to be able to use it. What’s a couple extra seconds of buffering? And when I get caught up in worry over friendships, school or the future, I like to remind myself of the happy relationships I have and the little joys I experience every day that make existence awesome. Life has its many ups and downs, and appreciating the bright side really helps put the dark side in perspective.
Louis C.K. did an interview where he fleshes this idea out like a boss.
In hardly 10 seconds of concentrated gratitude, your mood can go from bad to great, or at least bad to okay. Start small: I’m grateful that I don’t have a sore throat. I’m grateful to be able to go to college. That there are people who care about me. That I’m not freezing cold right now. That this song makes me happy. Eventually, after listing these things all in a row, you start to feel pretty lucky.
The world can be a sad, messed up place, and it’s very easy to get caught up in all that seems to be going wrong. Sometimes all you can do is step back and try to consciously appreciate how much is going right. This Thanksgiving, try to think of some things you’re truly thankful for, from hot showers to good health to forks and knives. Or the chair holding you the perfect distance from the table, allowing you to recline in comfort as you gorge on an abundance of delicious food, not even cracking under the pressure as you lean dangerously far back on its legs ’cause you’re young and rebellious and full of energy and life. Treat every day like Thanksgiving—soon you, too, can preach the virtues of gratitude to your friends and family like you’re the Dalai Lama. Happy Thanksgiving!
Photocredit: forbes.com, tumblr.com