Hi, everybody. It’s hard to believe it’s that time of year. Here we are, sitting in the studio, me and Marty, trying to get a lot of work done, and it’s time for a holiday message. Would you believe it!
You know what, there was a Mondays with Mike, once upon a time, that talked about what our favorite holiday was. Marty and I both answered that. But I will tell you, out of all the holidays out there, the one that could have the most positive impact on your mental health is Thanksgiving. And here’s why.
The impact of gratitude on mental health. It’s really powerful. Did you know that the expression of gratitude has the most positive impact on mental health? I’m very thankful for you, Marty, and that you help with this every time I’m in the studio. He’s always got great energy and he does a really good job. I hope that makes Marty feel better, that I’m grateful for him and his professionalism. But do you know who it helps the most? Me. Because I expressed gratitude. It isn’t because I said it, although it’s important to say it, it’s because it actually triggers certain synapses and chemicals in my brain.
So, I want to encourage you during this season to be profoundly grateful. You know there’s a difference in being thankful and being grateful. Being thankful is a mental process – I’m thankful for my health, my family, my company, my friends. But where the power is is where you get still. They tell us two to three minutes a day, mostly in the morning, where we get still and we allow ourselves to be vulnerable enough to feel it.
So I hope during this season of gratitude and excessive amounts of gluttony, that you take time to feel the profound nature of the things you are truly grateful for. You may have rituals with your family where you go around the table and that’s great, but what’s best is when you’re alone, feeling it, being fully present with the intensity of what a grateful heart really feels like.
Happy Thanksgiving, enjoy the holiday and the time with those you spend it with, even if it’s just you. Take care.
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