Thanksgiving Mind Exercises
Four mental exercises sharpen your Holiday while you grow
Four mental exercises you can use this Holiday season to combine celebration with personal growth.
Thanksgiving is a special time. Generally marked by family get-togethers, feasts, and possibly football, Thanksgiving is also an opportunity for personal growth and development. While your tummy is getting its share of exercise processing all the good foods, use this Thanksgiving to grow personally with these mental exercises.
Listen generously: Listening is more than hearing. Listening is hearing, understanding, and empathizing. The accomplished listener is highly regarded. Do people seek you out for conversation? If they don't, it's probably not that you don't have anything to say; it may be that you say to much. A great listener is perceived as a great communicator. Ironic isn't it?
Be curious: Combine curiosity with listening to grow by learning new things. The curious listener asks lots of questions. Open ended questions are best; ask questions that can't be answered with a yes or no. Though you may be well acquainted with your family members, you've likely been seeing them primarily as Uncle George and Aunt Mary. Both George and Mary are functioning adults with experiences, opinions, and expertise. Find out more about them with open ended questions and listen.
Forgive: Do you hold a grudge against a family member? If you'll be seeing that person this Holiday season, do yourself a favor and forgive. Many family disagreements affect relationships for years. Long term feuds are harmful to all involved. Holding a grudge and maintaining an anger toward a friend or relative hurts you most of all. Give yourself the gift of forgiveness by forgiving the transgression. You'll be surprised by how good that feels.
Accept: Some people have habits that annoy other people. Face it, we all annoy others at times. This Holiday season is a great time to accept other family members and friends for who they are and focus on their positive traits. Remind yourself of Aunt Jessie's generosity and your brother Bob's keen sense of humor. Overlook their annoying habits. You'll find that when you focus on their positive traits the traits that used to annoy don't seem as annoying anymore.
Listen generously, be curious, forgive, and accept, enjoying the feast and celebration while adding some personal development for dessert.
Related Article:
