The Jasmine Star Show

The Thanksgiving Gratitude Practice No One Is Talking About

Jasmine Star

Ya’ll know that Norman Rockwell painting of the classy family around the Thanksgiving table? The one where the mom is holding a perfectly golden turkey and the dad is dressed in a suit beaming with pride. 

Growing up I went into every Thanksgiving with that picture in mind and let’s just say my family is known to have frozen turkey and clothing is optional. We are not your all American family. 

While our dinners never looked like what I imagined, I've learned to find gratitude in the mess of it all because that's the trick. 

>>The key to finding happiness is gratitude.<<

There’s always something to be thankful for. Boo, I hope you make time to find beauty in everything.

So let’s simply take a moment to realize just how blessed we are today. If you want to hear more about my crazy family Thanksgivings and learn to find happiness through gratitude then take a listen! 

If you'd like to read the show notes for this episode, you can do so here: https://jasminestar.com/podcast/episode17. Happy Thanksgiving to you, friend!

Speaker 1:

[inaudible] Oh friend,

Speaker 2:

do you love Thanksgiving as much as I do? I mean, okay, let me back up for a little bit and explain why this holiday is. And traditionally yet traditionally my favorite holiday of the year. So have you ever seen Norman Rockwell's famous painting of a Thanksgiving dinner there at the head of the table? Mom is serving a beautifully browned Turkey. Well dad is wearing a suit beaming with pride guests at the table, smile and lean over, gleaming white platters of colorful vegetables and gravy and that, that is what I thought holiday dinner should be instead Thanksgiving at my parents house has always been a series of jagged memories in my household. Like the time my dad made one ton soup instead of a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. I mean, you guys who does that, who makes one ton soup on Thanksgiving, and here's the worst part, like a detail that doesn't really matter, but yet has burned a hole in my eyes. That year my mom went to pick and save now called big lots and she bought these gold reflective tablecloths. Like did you even know they made gold reflective people? I mean, just imagine like gold foil tablecloths. And my dad brought it a big pot of one ton soup and served it in bowls. And I was like somewhere in the past you just need Norman walk. Well cry. Um, or Hey, how about this time? Another time at Thanksgiving, my brother tossed Pillsbury Crescent rolls. Like they were warm little footballs. Now instead of passing the bread basket around the table, he just picked up a Crescent roll and then tossed them to everybody. Oh yeah, we're real classy. Or how my mother has served a frozen Turkey six years in a row. How somebody might serve a frozen Turkey one year, you know, grace girl grace, two years[inaudible] and another year of not really turning on the oven. You out six. Come on. And let's not forget the first year my husband joined my family for Thanksgiving. That was the year my dad did not wear a shirt at the dinner table. He was shirtless. So please don't get me started on the horrors of looking at my father's chest hair as he carved the Turkey. Okay. So all American family, we are not. And wow, I am tempted to list all the reasons I need to be adopted by Norman wa. Well, I've learned to find gratitude in the mess of it all because that's the trick. The key to finding happiness is gratitude. Despite the frozen turkeys, siblings who think they're Tom Brady and the possibility of chest hair in my gravy, there is a lot to be thankful for. There was a time when my family couldn't afford to buy food for Thanksgiving. There was a time when we spent Thanksgiving in a hospital while my mom recuperated from brain cancer surgery. There was a time when the chair sat empty next to me and my heart longed to be loved by a person who would be willing to sit next to me in that chair. So this month I hope you make time to find beauty in everything. Life throws your way, including Crescent rolls thrown at you by a younger brother and even accepting things as they're thrown your way as you grow your business on social media. So I know this time of year is when everyone gets reflective, but I have to tell you a story to really drill down this point for any time of the year, not just Thanksgiving. An elderly man sat next to me in a wheelchair and he pointed his finger in my face and he asked me, what if the only things you had tomorrow were the things you expressed thankfulness for today? And I was dumbstruck. I mean, what would I have tomorrow for only the things I said, thankful for today. I didn't express gratitude for my bed, my toothbrush, water from a faucet or a pillow. So I was kind of just sitting there and I quickly made a mental list of the things I wouldn't have tomorrow because I didn't say thanks for them today. I mean things like running shoes, dental floss, a blender for my morning smoothie. I mean, and let's be real. Shout out to my fake eyelashes. I even went as far as being like, I really like my washing machine. I mean, I don't use it all that much, but I really like it. I mean, I even started saying thank you for electricity. I realized that I had spare change in my car. That is a luxury. I had a phone call with my dad. I had the opportunity to cuddle with my dog. Listen, buttercup, let me tell you that this list went on and on and on. Every day since that conversation with that gentleman, I wake up and I say, thanks for the decadence of life. Abundance and success don't always look like what we see on social media. I mean, let's be real. Oftentimes it's simply taking a moment to realize just how blessed we are today. I hope you make a list and check it twice because a shout out to Santa who's coming around the corner. I want you to make that list for everything that you are thankful for today. A friend once told me that the secret to having it all is knowing you already do, regardless of how you feel about your life or your business. There's so much to be thankful for and lots of ways to express it. So let's do this dang thing. Okay. So in addition to my random list of things that I'm grateful for, I want to take a minute to list one more person. I am so thankful for you. Yeah, I mean, I don't want to get mushy here, but I might, uh, I appreciate you being here with me. Taking a moment to expand into your purpose. And if some of you I know are starting a business and some of you I know are just simply taking in the conversation, some of you just really like social media, some of you are just here because we're meant to cross each other's paths. So regardless of how you've intercepted my path, and regardless of where you are right now on the treadmill, you know, shopping for Christmas gifts early, Oh my gosh, you really productive people. Just inspire me in also intimidate me. Perhaps you're walking the dog or cooking a meal. I'm going to ask for a favor. I know it's totally silly and maybe you might even think it's ridiculous, but if you could please close your eyes for 20 seconds and make a list of people in your life who you are thankful for. You know people who like make you who you are, whoever that trims formative effect for how far you come in life. Like I know it's silly, but I would just like for you to try it now. If you're driving in your car, do not close your eyes. You know what I'm saying? But when you get into your driveway, put this, put this gas on on pause, right? Maybe pull over, pull into your driveway when you get home, before you go to bed. Then bring out this podcast again cause all I'm asking for is honestly I'll do you a solid. Can you give me 20 seconds? I know it's silly, but just try it to close your eyes and make a list.

Speaker 3:

Are you ready? 20 seconds starting now.

Speaker 4:

[inaudible]

Speaker 5:

you

Speaker 4:

[inaudible]

Speaker 3:

okay. Now that you're back, I have a question to ask you.

Speaker 2:

Were you on that list? Did you think of how thankful you were for your hard work, your dedication, and your hustle? Did you consider appreciating your sheer will to pursue moving forward in business even despite the odds that might be stacked against you? There are so many thankless days as a business owner. You know those. There's going to be mornings when you rush the kids out the front door, afternoon, sitting in traffic, evening spent in an overwhelming inbox and entire weekends spent catching up with your work to do list. I know those days. I know those moments and you feel like there's so thankless, but you're doing it like you are doing the hard work. You spend probably so much time thinking about others doing things for others and thinking others, right? I mean, sometimes you're thinking your kids for just brushing their teeth and then in a few minutes later you're thinking customers replacing an order that you spend all this time thanking others and doing things for others. That by the time your head hits the pillow at night, there's a good chance you hope that that dang pillow swallows you whole. But I'm here to remind you that thinking yourself is powerful. You give yourself the permission to see and appreciate your efforts. It's good to say you're grateful for your work ethic, your, it's good to see that you're grateful for your hutzpah that you're grateful for. Just saying, you know what, I am doing it every day and that is hard. And this is the point where a lot of people give up. But what will make me successful is my resilience and my dedication to keep moving forward. Friend, whoever you are thankful for, make sure that you are on that list. So in addition to thanking other people on that, list out a few things to that list. So what are you grateful for today, friend? I am being so serious. Listen, I love me that reality television aspect of life. You know, it's like I want to be a creeper. I want to know what are you thankful for? I really want to know why, because I care about you and I appreciate you and I would love to connect. So you can send me a message on Instagram. You can find me at Jasmine star and you can let me know what you were thinking yourself for this holiday season. So I'm about to wrap up because me and my family are going to go eat some Turkey. Well, actually the family will eat the Turkey if it's not frozen, but I am going to be taking a tofurkey because I'm a vegetarian. I don't eat meat. So thank you. Sweet baby Jesus for four. Tofurky. Okay. Um, and also thank you for tuning into this episode of the Jasmine star show today. Shine on boo and with much love and gratitude and appreciation. I will see you on Instagram and or in the review of this podcast

Speaker 1:

[inaudible].