When the Praises Go Up

The blessings come down. This November, put on your hoops and radiate gratitude for the incandescent person you are.

Thanksgiving is a powerful holiday. It’s merely one day out of thirty, comfortably residing in the final stretch of the month. Yet, somehow, it seems to define the month entirely; all minutes, hours, and days of November pass for the sole purpose of celebrating it. And don’t get me wrong, it’s not a  bad thing by any means. There’s always a lot to be grateful for: family, friends, good health, education -- the list goes on and on. Here’s my thing, though: whenever people begin to list off what they are thankful for, more often than not, they list nouns: people, places, and things. People choose external forces that operate independently -- things that we thank our lucky stars for each and every year.

November is the last month of autumn, and the beginning of a new adventure; it is a time to take risks and do or celebrate the unexpected. Most people set aside New Year’s Eve as a time of reflection regarding the year’s experiences, but I think November can just as easily play the same role in provoking us to, yes, evaluate what it is we are thankful for this year, but also to reflect on how they have changed in comparison to what we gave thanks for this time last year. And if there is one thing that has stood out to me this Thanksgiving season, it’s that I have started being a lot more thankful for myself. I have seen so much personal growth this year as a student, as a friend, as a lover, and as a woman, and being cognizant of those changes has made me even more excited to keep going. We live in a day and age where we, as a society, have finally come to a place where we can openly celebrate ourselves. And I think that’s something each and every one of us should be thankful for.

Be thankful for your perseverance. When every ounce of you wants to give up, somehow you keep moving forward.  This year you have likely seen a day where your feet forgot how to take steps forward and your body forgot how to stand upright, and yet, you kept walking. You walk when there was no earth beneath your feet and no bounce in your step. You walk, and walk, and walk. You place your feet upon the water and you keep going.

Be grateful for your empathy. Your humanity. Women frequently chastise themselves for giving and caring too much instead of celebrating their incredible abilities to connect with those around them. Yes, it is exhausting, and it can be painful, but being an empath is truly a gift. Use it kindly; it can save the world.

Be thankful for your failures. Every single time you passionately chased a destiny you believed to be your own, you became one step closer to becoming the beautiful person you are today. Be thankful not for wasted time or energy, but for all the times that you overcame adversity -- for the times you did something that made yourself proud. Even if that thing was getting out of bed this morning. Failure is nothing but the presentation of a blank slate: an opportunity to begin once again.

Be thankful for your body. Romanticize it, even. Every curve, dip, muscle, and freckle. Fall in love with the movements it can make, and the things it can help you achieve. Treat your body with the respect in which you treat others, for you are not worth any less. You deserve a love that loves you always, not just when it is convenient. And that love needs to come from you before it comes from anyone else.

Be thankful for the difficult people in your life. It is so sickeningly easy to get caught up in a worry-filled, anxiety driven loop of negativity. Do not let anybody perpetuate that or contribute to it. They have shown you an image of exactly who you don’t want to be. Take their unkindness as a lesson, and respond to them with love and forgiveness.

Be thankful for the life you have. Understand that not everything will happen as you want it to. Understand that you are not perfect. To live a life full of happiness, you need to accept everything that you are. Every inch. Every flaw. We are who we are. Things will occur the way they do. There’s a unique beauty to the mysterious flow of the universe. This is life; surrender yourself to it and learn to be grateful. You will get so much more out of your journey when you do. It has taken me so damn long to come to terms with that.

Reflect on how much you have celebrated and improved yourself this year. Reflect on the work that still needs to be done. Learn and improve. Allow yourself to deserve amazing things. I promise you that you will always look back and be thankful for the effort and compassion that you put into yourself.

This November, put on your hoops and radiate gratitude for the incandescent person you are.

 By Sabrina Maciariello

Duke Student, wellness columnist and peanut butter junkie, constantly on a journey to understand and be understood.