As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, what do you think about most?

BY Lynn Lessell

“ME” MondayTM 11-25-19
As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, what do you think about most?

Do you think about a delicious feast, having to cook for a crowd, time off from work, visiting with family, how to avoid excess calories, or do you simply think about what you are truly grateful for?

Recently, I have discussed this very question which resulted in a variety of answers. Strangely, these responses mostly revolved more about avoiding stress than being thankful.
Can you think of a time you felt this way? I can.

When my kids were toddlers, right about this time of year, I had still been struggling to lose the weight I had gained during pregnancy. After two years of trying to lose it, I stubbornly decided to not worry about calories or quantity intake during the upcoming holidays. It seemed like I was eating and cooking, cooking and eating, while unhappily feasting with those closest to me and certainly not relaxing during the extra time off I had. I knew there were a series of similar circumstances over the month ahead and just couldn’t seem to muster up the gratitude I should have shared with everyone.

When the new year was just around the corner, I started a new telemarketing job. It may not have been the best time to decide to try to lose the weight one last time but I took advantage of a free registration at Weight Watchers. It was free so what could I lose by trying, right? The new job came with an additional challenge for me which made trying to lose weight much harder. Every week, the group who sold the most contracts would be taken for an all-expense paid dinner by the boss! I felt more stress than ever, without being thankful for the new job, having motivation to win the contest, or lose weight. It got even harder because my work group won the dinner the first seven weeks in a row!

Quickly, I realized I had to create a plan so I could enjoy the win at work and stay positive in my effort to lose weight. Then an amazing thing happened. Creating a plan had worked! Pounds were lost while I continued to excel at work. Stress was lessening and I started realizing just how much I COULD be thankful for.

So, what can you be thankful for?

Get a pen and paper. Now, write down the things you can be grateful for, not only for thanksgiving but in general. It doesn’t matter how big or small it is. It doesn’t matter if it is important or not. Write it down so you can SEE what you are appreciative of.

Be grateful. Be happy. Be positive.

Have you written your list? Read it and hopefully you will discover something new you can be thankful for this Thanksgiving.

Something extra I am thankful for this year is that “ME” MondayTM is weekly so I can plan something special just for me regularly. You can be grateful for this too! It is a weekly holiday I created just for you!

Wishing everyone thanks for following “ME” MondayTM and to you and your families – a Thanksgiving filled with health, happiness, and lots of laughter!

Have you met the best version of yourself yet? What would that look like?

This is your now!

Lynn Lessell

The Identity Coach