Sometimes it is difficult to be grateful, to find thankfulness within us when we are distressed or disappointed, frustrated or angry.  The depths of those emotions are undeniable as is their impact on our overall state of mind and state of being.

Whether it is personal stress, concern about the state of the world, anxiety over the continuing fate of the hostages and more, there is no question that many of us are finding gratitude harder to access.  Our fears and uncertainties are speaking to us much more loudly and their volume can push our appreciation to the back of our consciousness.

And, yet, here we are in the season of Thanksgiving, a holiday that, even in its title, is about gratitude.  Many of us will join together with family and friends, spend time over a shared meal and, at least at my table, try to banish any conversations that might result in strong disagreements or conflicts. We will also try not to focus on all the reasons we have to feel more negative emotions than positive ones. 

Maybe I am being Pollyanna here, acknowledging that excessive optimism is a core characteristic of mine, but I do believe that the only way to change our mindset is to reframe it, to push ourselves to look at the glass half full rather than half empty, to find reasons for hope. And when we do that, when we seek out that which is positive and acknowledge it, we help others to do the same.

That is not to say that we don’t have things that worry us. That is not to say that we are operating in the world with blinders on. But it is to say that we each have the opportunity to change our thought process and to influence others.  

The world is not all sunshine and flowers.  Life is not filled with rainbows and butterflies.  We all know that.  But, if we make an effort to find the sun behind the clouds, and acknowledge that it is there, we take a small step towards filling our full hearts, changing our lives and, perhaps, changing the world.