“It is through gratitude of the present moment that the spiritual dimension of life opens up."
- Eckhart Tolle
When I moved to London in 2016 I hosted my first Thanksgiving dinner, which was a big undertaking.
I spent days preparing and making a whole turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and my grandmother's famous Nut Rolls.
My husband Chris and I invited a few friends to join us, and we all sat down for a meal.
About midway through dinner I announced to the unexpected guests (who had never experienced an American Thanksgiving dinner before)....
"now is the time we go around the table and each share something we're thankful for."
Everyone stared at me and I could see their brains scrambling to comprehend that there was no way of getting out of this ;)
So as the token American in the room, I went first.
I squeezed Chris' hand under the table and said I was most thankful for Chris, who was now my fiancé. I was thankful that we could finally stop being in a long distance relationship, which was so hard for me to do. And that he did everything to get me to London and make it as loving and comforting as possible.
I started to cry as love and gratitude swept over me. I had never really told anyone how much I loved Chris. Or how incredible Chris was to me.
We went around the table - being witnesses to each other -- and experienced how a single moment of thankfulness can bring people closer than ever.
No one gave thanks to the new car they bought or the money in their bank account.
So what really matters, in the end?
At the end of it all, our loved ones or overcoming a significant struggle or reaching an extraordinary personal goal is where thankfulness comes in.
And for today?! I'll be hosting my 6th international Thanksgiving dinner here in the Caribbean with my Sister Katie and her family who are visiting from the States!
My heart is already opening for the moment we can go around the table and share what we're most thankful of this year.
For you: whether you're an American or not, why not share at your dinner table something you're thankful for?
We can know something intellectually but to turn it into wisdom, we must practice it.
I'd love to hear how your experience went so please email me at tracey@livlitceo.com and share your story.
A few resources for you
I love you all. And I am so grateful to be part of your world.
Have a wonderful thanksgiving, from my family to yours.
xx Tracey
CEO, Co-Founder and Master Coach with Liv.Lit!
PS Our final Liv.Aligned class with Rose Boghos is on December 12 learn more and register here
PPS Let's coach together. Apply for an Intro Coaching Call
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