5 Questions to Ignite Gratitude this Thanksgiving

Here we go again! It’s officially holiday season and whether you love or dislike them, you’re likely headed towards some combination family over the next month or two. And as you ramp up into the festivities, it is often its own blend of filling and draining your energy.

For me, the most draining experience are those that have no real meaning behind them. I am not one for just showing up “because I’m supposed to”. I know that my time is the most precious resource I have so I’ve altogether stopped going to obligatory experiences to solely opt-in to the ones that have intention and meaning behind them.  Imagine what our world would be like if we all only showed up where we wanted to be? But I digress…

So what about those “in-between” experiences? The ones where you want to show up because you know it’s the right thing, but there’s a part of you that wishes you could just order delivery at home to avoid any awkward or forced conversations that tip-toe around meaningful topics? You know what I’m talking about right? Those “How’s work?”, “How are the kids?”, “How’s your cat?”, “how about this weather?” types of questions. Where the asker is just running through the laundry list of acceptable topics to exchange pleasantries vs. actually wanting to know the truth behind the response?

I’ve realized that it’s almost impossible to avoid these moments, so it’s much better to go into the experience with some meaningful questions at my fingertips that most people would be excited to answer. Especially they ignite nostalgia and memories of things gone right. So as I go into this holiday season, here’s a list of questions that will spark gratitude both from the giving and receiving ends of the stories that will follow.

1. What are you most thankful for?
2. What went right in your childhood and how does that serve you today?
3. How is your life different today than it was a year ago? How are you thankful for those changes?
4. Who has made a positive impact on your life this year?
5. What are you most proud of right now?

Will you try one of these on for size and see how it serves you? Or do you have another favorite that I’m missing and can share with the rest of us?

The more we remove the small talk and substitute for big talk, the deeper our connections, relationships, sense of belonging and love will kindle for those we have the privilege of sharing the holiday with.