It’s the age-old question, isn’t it? Are you the type of person who’s more pessimistic or more optimistic? Holidays – and especially Thanksgiving Day – seem to amplify our general attitudes toward life and what gifts we’ve been given. Today, let's lay out some food for thought on the Thanksgiving table.
The glass is actually completely full!
It’s all too easy to perceive only black vs. white. Cognitive psychologists call this all-or-nothing thinking. Seeing the glass as either only half-empty or only half-full falls prey to this mindset. That mindset is limiting. It can blind you to the myriad gifts around you. People with extreme pessimism minimize their blessings, while those with extreme optimism fail to recognize all of their blessings.
The half-full question is vague. You can just as easily say that the glass is half-full of liquid and half-full of air. The glass is not empty in the least – it is completely full. It’s just full of different components – not a single substance.
We tend to see around us only what is obvious (like the liquid in the glass) and miss much around us that is not obvious (the invisible air also present in the glass). Similarly, it is easy – and perhaps automatic – for us to focus on only what is right in front of us.
Lasting and loving relationships give us more than the obvious. Love also gives us positive psychological and health effects. This Thanksgiving, do some soul-searching and ask yourself why you are happy to have your partner in your life. You’re shortchanging yourself and your significant other by merely reciting the obvious – how you’re thankful for a lover and best friend.
Ask yourself what your partner really means for your life and well-being? Reflect on a deeper level this holiday and then take a private moment to ask yourself the following questions and share your answers with your partner.
Six steps for discovering a deeper love
What makes this person so special to you?
How does this person bring balance and stability to the relationship?
What qualities does this person have that grab your attention every time and feed that feeling of passionate love?
How are you a better person with this person in your life?
What has this person taught you about yourself or about life in the past year?
What sacrifices has this person made for your happiness?
Guard against taking your partner for granted. Be thankful and relish in the gifts you have in your partner that are not immediately apparent on a daily basis because of life’s hectic nature.
There’s no greater gift you can give your partner than your love and devotion…and the best packaging for that gift is sincere and constant reassurance of your feelings on a deeper level. A level that most of the time we do not take time to see. Express that level to your partner today. Happy Thanksgiving from your friends at TRUE!
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