I’ve never been more grateful. For health, for masks, for coming change.
I believe we’re on the downhill side of the pandemic, and that we’ll have a vaccine, a more functional leader in the United States, and more attention to schools and children’s educational needs in 2021.
2020 was a year of pain, misalignment, disagreement, and ultimately, growth. Growth rarely comes without pain. 2020 is a landmark year, a year we will remember with a deep, global, felt sense. Our shared experience will be a touchpoint for generations.
So when you look back in 2020, I encourage you to look past the temporary pain to the enduring growth, to your perseverance and resilience and let that self-compassion and gratitude flow.
My goal is to share tools that help you live a life with deeper contentment, meaning and purpose. For you, here is my Thanksgiving 2020 haul:
1. Listen. I have always been a great fan of StoryCorps, and for Thanksgiving they encourage the The Great Thanksgiving Listen, where anyone and everyone is encouraged to “interview an elder, mentor, friend or someone they admire”, record it and share. Whether you take this approach or simply try to learn something new about people you know well, I invite you to intentionally listen this Thanksgiving.
2. Deep Gratitude. I have a host of dependable gratitude exercises, like Three Good Things from Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center. In a year of deep and painful, change, counting your blessings and elevating gratitude for what you have is powerful. If you want to get intellectual about it, Factfulness is a powerful book that uses data to let you know the world is actually doing better than you think. This fall I recorded this guided meditation to help you find gratitude in the life you’ve created for yourself.
3. Ring Theory is a simple framework that helps you comfort those who are in crisis. As someone who suffered a significant loss recently, I was needing comfort, and felt great healing when people actively used ring theory. So many people are suffering now; it’s time to “tool up” your support skills. Here’s more about ring theory in my blog and on my podcast.
4. The Whole Life Assessment is a tool you can use to review and assess your life in its entirety; it is my most popular tool. End of year holiday time is a perfect time to take stock, and start thinking about what is wonderful in your life, and changes you may make in the coming year. Download The Whole Life Assessment for free here.
5. 5 Ingredient Thanksgiving Recipes. Less is more this year, for sure. Even this professional chef is reaching for simpler options. 🙂
6. Cooperative, Collaborative Learning Board Games. After our recent move, we chose to de-screen our lives. The kids have to have computers for school this year (grumble, grumble, grateful), but we don’t need to have a TV, etc. Enter: board games. You name it, we’re playing it. I love this list from the New York Times, and I can personally recommend Zombie Kidz as advertised — it’s a learning, cooperative game. It’s wonderful to see our family actively practice teamwork, especially now.
I wish you the best for a healthy, invigorating, gratitude filled Thanksgiving, surrounded by a very small group of people you love. Drive for quality conversations this year, since, for perhaps the first time, it’s not about quantity.
As always, I’m here to serve, support and strengthen you.
Love,
Allison
