Personal Growth From the Bottom Up – BroderickDurisseau.com
A Blog Dedicated to Personal Growth, Success and Goal Achievement

Many people would say Thanksgiving is a holiday to remember what we’re thankful for.  That would be true, but what is it about Thanksgiving we look forward to?  The time we’re going to spend with family? The “eat, drink and be merry” part?  I don’t think we look forward to Thanksgiving so we can give thanks, because we have the ability to give thanks any time we want to, so that means we look forward to all the other aspects of the holiday.  We catch up with each other.  We talk about different subjects and offer advice to each other.  We laugh.  We enjoy each others presence (hopefully).  The belief that because that particular span of time is over, that the fun and joy we experience during Thanksgiving has to end is a limiting belief.  It’s also a disappointing belief.   I remember some of the worst feelings I had were when the holidays ended,  the family went their separate ways never to be seen again until the next holiday, and I had to go back to school.  After Thanksgiving I usually had some big school project I had procrastinated on staring me dead in the face, so I guess you can say I added to my own disappointment.

The Power of Appreciation

Thanksgiving has passed, but shouldn’t we give thanks everyday? Or at least more often than once a year?  If we don’t appreciate what we have already, what would be the point of acquiring more? the new feeling?  to impress others?  It would be like trying to fill a bottomless pit.  You will never be at peace with what you have if you’re not at peace with what you have now.

When we appreciate our reality, we take care of it.  We make sure its needs are met.  What’s really great about appreciation is that when we value our reality, we receive more from it anyway.  I found that when I felt genuinely thankful for my apartment, it became much cleaner and much more organized.  Appreciation wasn’t the only reason it became cleaner and more organized, but it definitely played a huge role.  Cleaning the house was no longer an overwhelming job I had to schedule in on my list of things to do like it was before I understood the power of appreciation.

Acknowledging Appreciation

Even if we do understand the value of what we have now, do we acknowledge that we appreciate it?  Do we tell people we love them for no reason? Or do we wait for some special occasion.  Do we tell our kids we appreciate them just for being them? Or do we say “We’re proud of you, but…”.  What if someone came up to you and told you that what you do is enough.  What if they acknowledged the positives about you and really let you know they appreciated you WITH NO ULTERIOR MOTIVE behind it.  How would that make you feel?  What would you think about that person?

Being Thankful or the Bad

Maybe you view your circumstances as awful.  Maybe you just view some aspects of your life as bad.  Whatever it is, it’s not the end of the world.  You can still be thankful for the life circumstances you perceive as bad by treating them as a learning/growing experience.  If you’re in a situation you don’t want to be in, instead of complaining about it or blaming someone else, say to yourself “what can this teach me?”.  Learn the lesson and appreciate that the lesson is there.  You can also share the dark times to help other people out of those same dark situations.

Appreciation is mainly an aspect of awareness, and if we can be aware about the value of what is around us more often, we can reach new heights in all areas of our life.

When I was walking around outside, completely broke, I stopped and started looking at a tree.  I had an “aha” moment around that time, and realized that that tree has many qualities of a person who experiences abundance in all areas of his/her life.  The cycle of a tree from birth to “death” is one of magnificence. I will share.

A tree is born
In the beginning a small tree, a sapling, needs nurturing.  It needs to be taken care of.  It needs help and can only give but a little value to the world.  Pretty soon that tree becomes deeply rooted in the earth and connected to the world. It doesn’t need as nearly as much nurturing as it did before, but its basic needs still must be met.

A tree is focused on growth
From day one, it seems the tree’s goal is to grow, because it knows that if it grows it’s ability to create value to it’s environment also grows.  The path of growth is interesting too.  The tree doesn’t just grow upwards.  Yes, the tree gets taller every year that passes, but the key is it grows outwards and upwards simultaneously.  It’s branches are like arms reaching out to its environment.

A tree gives
It doesn’t ask how can it get this brand new car or all this money.  It stands in offering and just gives. It trusts that the universe will take care of everything it needs if it just focuses on what it can give, not what it can get. It gives shelter to birds and insects.  It gives shade and protection from the suns rays to that which is underneath it.  It bears fruit so that we may eat from it.   It gives us oxygen to breathe and trusts that we will give it carbon dioxide back and the rain will come and quench its thirst.  Even in the midst of adversity, when it sees someone in the distance ready to cut it down, it doesn’t complain.  It doesn’t blame.  It just sees more opportunity to give and becomes the paper that is used for the book that saves lives.  It becomes the wood to light the fire of a happy home.  It’s the pencil that’s used to write a song that inspires the world.

A tree is still and present
A tree doesn’t have anger, regret, or sorrow over the past.  It also doesn’t have anxiety and fear of the future. If it’s not dwelling on the past or worried about the future, what’s left? Now is left.  It enjoys and celebrates Now.

What you take from this is up to you, but I would challenge you to take a closer look at nature.  I think we all could learn some things if we haven’t already.