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Writer's pictureKate Mackinnon

Doubling down on gratitude



Each year I am reminded of how Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday in America. This year, I am especially aware of how important a practice of gratitude is. 2020 has shown me how many things I have taken for granted. This March was the first time I had ever experienced empty shelves when I walked into a supermarket and was not able to buy whatever I wanted. I canceled a number of international trips I had booked; I had never even contemplated that I would not be able to take these trips. These experiences starkly show me how much I take luxuries such as travel and bountiful food supplies for granted. During a heatwave in September, we lost electricity for hours a few days in a row — a dramatic demonstration of how much I have come to rely on and assume that our home is supplied with a continual source of electricity. There are many ways in which I have found this year challenging. Despite it all, I have learned that when I am focusing on all of the inconveniences I am experiencing, I try pausing to list what I am grateful for. This has helped me regain equilibrium and prevents me from going down a rabbit hole of self-pity! For more on gratitude and how it works, watch this fun experiment in gratitude! If you are anything like me, have a tissue close by! Throughout this year I have been deeply grateful to all my colleagues and especially to my clients. I have had the pleasure of working with so many special people. I love what I do and that has sustained me on so many levels. Although our traditional get-together of 20 years with our ex-pat friends will change this Thanksgiving, we will find a new way to celebrate. And hopefully, it will only be for this year! I hope that those of you who celebrate Thanksgiving will find ways to make this Holiday special. I encourage you to carve out some time to think about all that you have been grateful for this year. It takes some extra effort, but the benefits are worth it! In fact, doubling down on this practice may bring unexpected rewards. Please let me know about your gratitude practice and what you experience.

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