![\"candles-five\"](\"http:\/\/achangeiscoming.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2016\/11\/candles-five-1024x780.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
The first draft of this post started with some very pointed observations about the US in November 2016 and how it\u2019s a little hard to focus on gratitude right now.\u00a0 It was kind of a downer, to be honest, which is not really the vibe any of us wants right now.\u00a0 So consider it all said.\u00a0 Here\u2019s some useful links to \u201csurvival guides\u201d and things you can do<\/a>.\u00a0 Now on to the gratitude.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n Even in a difficult situation, focusing on gratitude is a good way to look at the positive things I have to be grateful for. Tonight, this will be a good topic to reflect on as I\u2019m dancing and as I\u2019m meditating.<\/p>\n But gratitude isn’t the only thing I\u2019ll be reflecting on.\u00a0 As Baratunde Thurston says \u201c\u201cThe biggest problem in this world? Too much empathy,\u201d said no one, ever.<\/a>\u201d\u00a0 So tonight will be a balance between gratitude and empathy.<\/p>\n And why wait for tonight?\u00a0 Might as well get started now!<\/p>\n Balancing my appreciation for all of that wonderfulness\u00a0\u2026 there are so many heartbreaking stories of people having to deal with bigoted and hateful friends and family, or well-meaning friends and family who are willing to overlook bigotry and hatred, or even friends and family who try to be supportive but keep saying things \u201ci wish you wouldn\u2019t be like that\u201d or \u201cyour life would be a lot easier and safer if you acted more like how people \u2018should\u2019 act\u201d.<\/p>\n My heart goes out to everybody in situations like that.\u00a0 I don\u2019t have any great advice for you; there\u2019s no one right answer about what to do.\u00a0\u00a0 But I hope that each of you finds the strength to cut the ties that are harmful to you and endure the downsides of the ties you decide to keep – and that you find friends and family who appreciate and support you for who you are.<\/p>\n When I think about it, almost all my friends are in one or more of these groups.\u00a0\u00a0 So I\u2019m also very thankful for the opportunities to hang out in these circles and make new friends \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n To whoever’s reading this, I hope there are things in your life that you too are thankful for; if so, take a moment (or longer) to reflect on them.\u00a0 And as well as empathizing with people less fortunate than you, have some empathy for yourself as well – which includes taking care of yourself and paying attention to your own needs and desires as well as everybody else\u2019s.\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \t\t\t\twhy wait for tonight? Might as well get started now!\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[431],"class_list":["post-3709","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-personal","tag-gratitude"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/2024.thenexus.today\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3709","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/2024.thenexus.today\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/2024.thenexus.today\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/2024.thenexus.today\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/2024.thenexus.today\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3709"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/2024.thenexus.today\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3709\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/2024.thenexus.today\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3709"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/2024.thenexus.today\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3709"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/2024.thenexus.today\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3709"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"heart-pink\"](\"http:\/\/achangeiscoming.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2016\/11\/heart-pink-300x200.jpg\")
Most of all I\u2019m grateful for my family and friends.\u00a0 Family and friends always top my gratitude list, and this year I\u2019m even more conscious of how thankful I am that we do our best to live our shared values, and support each other in difficult situations.\u00a0 And there\u2019s also all the usual reasons, things I hope I never take for granted: the happiness you bring into my life, the good times we\u2019ve had together, the great advice you give, the friendship and love we share, the way so many of you inspire me.\u00a0 Thanks to all of you … and extra special super double-and-triple thanks with a gold star to those of you who are in my \u201cinner circle\u201d.\u00a0 I think you\u2019re swell \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n![\"five](\"http:\/\/achangeiscoming.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2016\/11\/candles2-1024x751.jpg\")
Moving beyond my friends and family, there are a few other groups particularly in my mind, with equal measure of gratitude (for everything you do, for me and the for the world) and empathy (because I know how difficult it can be and how many unfair things you have to deal with).\u00a0 In no particular order:<\/p>\n\n
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Of course, that\u2019s only the tip of the iceberg.\u00a0 There\u2019s a lot more to be grateful for and a lot more to empathize with.\u00a0 This post has gone on long enough already, though, and pretty soon I need to get to work on the traditional Thanksgiving paella!\u00a0\u00a0 So now\u2019s a good time to wrap things up.<\/p>\n