For many of us who live in the United States, it’s Thanksgiving week; one of many thanksgiving celebrations held around the world. The dates and customs may vary across traditions, but what they have in common is setting aside a time to consciously consider the beautiful gift of life we’ve been given, and remember, with gratitude, those greater forces that are the source of our very existence.
To feel gratitude is a great joy and reward in itself, but sometimes our hearts feel cold. We’re caught up in our own concerns, in our disappointment over plans that have not worked out as we wished, in our sense of entitlement. To be ungrateful is to feel a dark, lonely kind of pain. Perhaps this is why the Welsh metaphysical poet George Herbert prayed as follows:
Thou that has given so much to me, give one thing more: a grateful heart. Not thankful when it please me, as if thy blessings had spare days. But such a heart whose pulse may be thy praise. — George Herbert (1593-1633)
What a perfect prayer of thanksgiving for us all. The world is full of beauty. The cold heart sees none anywhere. The grateful heart sees beauty everywhere. It is not the world that differs for the two. The difference is in the quality of the heart that sees.
We cannot make ourselves feel gratitude; but its absence pains the soul, like a chill that creeps in unnoticed…until we ache. That realization awakens the natural wish to have our hearts opened, and in turn invites the world above us to infuse our being with the gratitude that heals our soul.
Join Us for a Grand Celebration of the Holidays: December 10-12, 2021
If Thanksgiving is here, that means all the wonderful December holidays are right around the corner. Something special to be thankful for this year is that Guy Finley’s nonprofit Life of Learning Foundation will hold its annual 3-day Holiday Weekend December 10-12.
The event includes three talks by Guy and lively, open discussion sessions with the audience.
During Christmas we celebrate the timeless message that even in what appears to be the darkest hour, we can, and are meant to be witness to the birth of the light – specifically, the birth of spirit and wisdom in our own hearts and minds. Guy’s talks will focus on how to break free of old patterns and experience the birth of this new level of being.
All the talks will be livestreamed for free and you are invited to attend from wherever you are in the world.
However, this year the Foundation is opening wide its doors and inviting those interested to join us here in Merlin, Oregon to take part in the unforgettable atmosphere of a true school for self-discovery. There will even be a festive Holiday banquet.
Whether you join us online or in person, you are sure to come away with a brand new way of looking at your life, a whole new set of possibilities to explore, and knowledge of how to use any unwanted moment to forge a deeper connection with the Divine.
Click here for information on how to register for the livestream or in-person event and how to receive a full replay package of the talks.
Best wishes for a joyous Thanksgiving!
Dr. Ellen Dickstein
The OneJourney Project
P.S. Click here to register now for the free livestreamed Holiday Weekend now, while you’re thinking of it.
