“The miracle is this: the more we share the more we have.”
Leonard Nimoy
Beyond the Quote (328/365)
Happy Thanks∙Giving. One of my favorite holidays where we give∙thanks. When you look closely at the name you’ll notice an important observation about thanks—it must be given. And from what I’ve learned about gratitude, I’d even go so far as to say that thanks is only real when it’s given. Thanks is not something that can be taken, nor is it something that can be arbitrarily absorbed. It isn’t something that manifests itself when we go through the motions of a feast or a gathering. And it isn’t something you just walk into. Thanks is something that must come through you.
Like knowledge for a student who attends university, it isn’t something that can be taken nor is it something that will just arbitrarily pop into their head. Just walking into a classroom isn’t enough. Going through the motions of being a student isn’t enough. Getting good grades isn’t necessarily enough either—cheating can get you excellent grades. You have to take that knowledge which is present, facilitate it, and give it away—to an assignment, by conversation, or through experiment. It has to be expressed in order to become real.
For, what’s the difference between not knowing and knowing and not doing? There is no difference. In both situations the knowledge is unaffecting in any real or mentionable way. And so it is with thanks. What’s the difference between not being thankful and being thankful without any form or intention of giving? Can you even be thankful and not giving? Even for the thankfulness that you feel inside, you have to give it to yourself for it to be real—isn’t it so? When you are expressing thankfulness, what are you doing? Giving yourself time/space to feel? To write? To express? Without that gift what do you have? Distraction? Cyclical thoughts? Pacifying media?
This is a profound lesson that can applied to so many areas in life. In order for anything in your head to become real, it needs to be expressed. Give the gift of gratitude the space, time, and effort it needs to come to life. Practice channeling and expressing the knowledge in your mind so as to avoid false ignorance. Wake up from the dream state existence that can sometimes feel like our monotonous and routinized reality and really see what it is that’s happening around you. There truly is so much to give thanks for, not only on this weird and unconventional Thanksgiving, but during any one of our ordinary, monotonous, and otherwise routinized days.
Read Next: 50 Thankful Quotes (and 6 Exercises) to Inspire Gratitude and Kindness
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Written by Matt Hogan
Founder of MoveMe Quotes. On a mission to help busy people do inner work—for better mental health; for healing; for personal growth. Find me on Twitter / IG / Medium. I also share daily insights here. 🌱
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