Look Within When Giving Thanks on Thanksgiving and Any Time

Thanksgiving is often a day when we pause, meditate, and celebrate what we are thankful for. We give thanks for family and friends, good fortune, surviving calamities, and crossing thresholds into new and welcome ways of living. This Thanksgiving, I'm paying attention to inner thank yous. Perhaps you can join me as you discover and honor yours.

I'm thankful for my ability to heal.

I was burdened with bulimia for decades and now am free and well. My body, mind, heart and soul worked their way to healing. I've been sick, and my body gathered resources from within and without, using them to restore my health.

I've had cracked bones, cut and burned skin, allergic responses to various things, and I've healed. I had problems walking, and, of course, with external help and guidance, my body healed not only from chemical difficulties but also learned to adjust to a new and better way of walking and moving, i.e., in better alignment overall.

What a marvel it is to be a being that can heal.

I'm thankful for my ability to learn.

I've memorized and forgotten a lot of facts over the years. Thank goodness I have books and Google to get reminders. But deep learning, I remember. In fact, the deep learning expands as well as deepens over the years.

I recognize emotions in other people and have a storehouse of responses I carry, lessons and examples from wise people. A relevant and kind response occurs to me naturally.

A self-protective response occurs to me naturally. I recognize more and more what is an opportunity and what is dangerous. And I know how to move or not move in ways that support my well-being.

I'm thankful for the bliss and desires of my soul.

I trust my soul and know that much of what it seeks and desires is not within my conscious thought. I've learned to listen and trust what comes from my soul and honor the direction I'm given. Sometimes, I search for information that is boring and repetitive, and sometimes, it goes against my values, but I keep going because I know something within me is casting about.

Invariably, I eventually find a treasure hidden among all the dross, a treasure that becomes a doorway for me. A recent example of this is my searching through masses of e-books and websites looking for information about how to create an e-book. I kept finding get-rich-quick schemes and voices demeaning quality writing.

But eventually, I found Robert Glushko, a respected cognitive scientist, who knows about the current and coming demands for a new way to organize and present information as we reach the deluge overwhelm stage of information charging at us from every possible avenue. He and his work are treasures for me. I was so fortunate to find him.

My sweet, pushy soul landed me in Ireland this year for a glorious spiritual and loving experience. It also pushed me to Joshua Tree for a Soul Care retreat that brought me new awareness, joy, and new friends. Thank you, my soul.

I'm thankful for my ability to love and learn to love in new ways.

Healing and learning caused many obstacles between my love and other people to weaken and fall. My love remains and grows. I can love the people I love regardless of their behavior.

My ability to love is teaching me more about being kind. My ability to love and be kind is giving me the great gift of seeing people in my life gently, smile and glow more. Thank you for my ability to love and be kind.

I'm grateful for my anger.

Anger rises in me when I see organized stupidity, cruelty and limitless greed. Sometimes, my anger surges before my awareness informs me. So, my anger informs me and tells me to look carefully at what prompts my anger.

My anger shows me where I need to teach, to write, to be more politically and economically active, donate money and support institutions that wok against what raises my anger. Thank you for my anger.

Thank you for my ability to appreciate life and beauty.

The days of my life, no matter what is going on, have many wonderful and joyous moments because I see life and beauty around me. I see hummingbirds in the honeysuckle bushes.

I see the taut, exquisite, muscular beauty of my dog, Trey, when she is on squirrel alert. I see soul delight in a child's face when she is thrilled about a picture she drew and see her warm nestling into an accepting and kind world when I honor her work and picture by hanging it from the chandelier or posting it on the refrigerator.

I'm thankful for my ability to be kind and generous with myself and learn what that means.

I'm writing this to you on my desktop computer in my beautiful office: brick floor, raw wood walls with lots of big windows, high ceiling, crystal chandelier, art I like, lighting I need, storage that's appropriate and a cup of tea. I gave myself this room and this equipment.

What were the trade-offs? I really don't know. I could add up the money, time and thought that went into creating this room and think about what I could have used it for. A new car? Fur coat? Lots of restaurant dinners? Jewelry? Shoes? High fashion?

I don't know because I didn't want those things. I wanted to give myself this. Now that it's here, I can write to you from this lovely and supportive place before I leave to be with my family for Thanksgiving dinner.

I'm thankful for my ability to sleep.

Only in the past few years have I learned to honor and appreciate that ability. I no longer take it for granted. I make an effort to see that, for the most part, I have eight hours of sleep a night.

I give to myself by giving me a comfortable bed with lovely quilts and pillows, in a simple lovely room. When I turn out the light to sleep, I am relaxed, peaceful, grateful and then......rest till morning. Thank you for my learning to respect my sleep and for my ability to sleep.

I'm grateful to wake up in the morning.

I see the light through my French doors. I hear the dogs stirring. I feel the warmth of my bed and the cool of the now autumn air. I'm ready.
Thank you for my ability to wake up for the new day.

I'm thankful for my stalwartness in and continuing joy in my journal writing.

It's a daily morning practice now and a place where I learn, support and teach my heart and soul what I am learning. Or rather, it's a place where my heart and soul teach me. Thank you for learning so well that I need my journal. Thank you for my ability to create and time and place to write in my journal and take it with me to wherever I will wake up in the morning.

And now, to bring my dogs to the park where my family is already playing. Then dinner. Then, since the children have completed a full reading of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, they are allowed to watch the movie. And I will watch them watching it as we carouse and snuggle on the couch during the show. :)

P.S. I'm also thankful for the ability of my hair to grow. I am loving having long hair. :)

What would you add to this list? Please do so in the comments.

Happy Thanksgiving!

What are your inner thanks?
Did you have them all along or did they take time to develop?
What gifts come from your inner gifts?
How do you honor the valuable wonders within you?

Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Written by Joanna Poppink, MFT. Joanna is a psychotherapist in private practice specializing in eating disorder recovery, stress, PTSD, and adult development.

She is licensed in CA, AZ, OR, FL, and UT. Author of the Book: Healing Your Hungry Heart: Recovering from Your Eating Disorder

Appointments are virtual.

For a free telephone consultation, e-mail her at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.