Ah, Thanksgiving. Most people
conjure an image of the perfect holiday gathering. Family and friends all
attend, everybody recites what they are thankful for, and a toast is made to
those family members who have passed away in the last year.
But not everybody’s Thanksgiving is
a Norman Rockwell painting. Domestic violence increases, political arguments
become heated, and the added stress some people feel to create a perfect
celebration only makes everything worse. Plus, since some family members don’t
see each other except during the holidays, they may want to revisit old
arguments and settle old scores.
“Thanksgiving should be a time to
reflect on the past, to be thankful for it, and for our family and friends,”
says Tom Corner, a motivational speaker and author of Borrowed Eyes and Feet: Finding
Enlightenment After Rage (www.borrowedeyesandfeet.com).
“Thanksgiving also should be just as
much about looking to the future as it is thinking about the past. But in order
to do that, some people may have to deal with family anger issues first.”
Corner, whose struggles to overcome
his own anger issues are recounted in his latest book, says people who have
pent-up anger can deal with it in many different ways – and family gatherings
can bring these issues to the surface.
Corner says that while it’s not
always easy to mollify someone else’s anger, he does have suggestions on how
you can reduce your own anger issues at Thanksgiving dinner:
- Prepare yourself. Before attending or hosting the event, spend some
time saying some affirmations like “I will focus on things to be thankful
for,” “Although my brother/sister may upset me, I deeply love and
appreciate myself,” or even “I attract honor, respect and dignity for
myself and others.”
- Behave.
Don’t worry so much about other people’s behavior – pay attention to your
own. How you behave is likely to be returned to you. If you are
grumpy and assume the holiday will be a disaster, you may make that come
true. “So smile because smiles really are contagious,” Corner says.
- Risk change. If
your Thanksgiving dinners have always been a disaster because you can’t
stand your sister, for example, make a commitment that this year you are
going to change. You can’t change her, but you can change your
expectations of her (and yourself). Decide ahead of time that you
will truly be loving and kind to yourself and you will be loving and kind
to her. Thanksgiving only comes once a year, so take a risk and
change how you see your family and remove unjustified expectations.
- Be present and aware. Don’t go on automatic pilot. “Be here, be now, be
present,” Corner says. “Your positive energy of being ‘in the
moment’ will impact those around you. Don’t bring your past arguments and
hurts into the present.”
- Forgive yourself. If your Thanksgiving wasn’t perfect, that’s OK. “Our
true perfection lies on our imperfections,” Corner says. Don’t take how it
went as a personal reflection on you. Once you forgive and accept yourself,
you will magically do the same for your family members.
“After Thanksgiving is over, make
peace with what was. Hug your family, kiss your children, and take some time to
just be,” Corner says. “You will need it. After all, Christmas dinner
will only be four weeks away. So, if you grasp onto family frustrations ask
yourself “Are these thoughts really true?”
About Tom Corner
Tom Corner, author of Borrowed Eyes and Feet: Finding Enlightenment After Rage” (www.tomcorner.net) is a writer and visionary leader who is a motivated professional with a lifetime of experience in the people business. He published his first children’s book in 2014 – List for Santa, List for Life! His follow-up publications include Positive Thoughts, Positive Life! Mommy Why Do You Have Two Birthdays? and Life is Fine, When You are Aligned! His hobbies include physical and mental health, nutrition counseling and spiritual and meditative arts.
Photo Credit:Simon Maage
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