Thanksgiving: A Time For Gratitude – But What Does That Mean?

Gratitude and Thanksgiving Waht does it mean?

You may not control life’s circumstances, but getting to be the author of your life means getting to control what you do with them.”

Atul Gawande (2014). “Being Mortal: Illness, Medicine and What Matters in the End”, p.143, Profile Books

You know the drill. Thanksgiving approaches, and somewhere between planning the menu and bracing for family dynamics, you’re supposed to pause and count your blessings. Maybe you even make a list: health, home, people you love, work that sustains you. The exercise feels right, even virtuous. But if you’re honest, sometimes it also feels a little hollow—like you’re checking a box labeled “gratitude” without actually feeling much of anything.  

We often think of gratitude only in humanistic terms—I am grateful for my home, friends, family, and good health. But what about seeing gratitude through a different lens: one that’s less tangible, one that might require us to step out in faith, embracing the unknown and connecting us to the universal One and Agape (Divine Selfless Love)?

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How To Nourish Vital Spirit: The ETMS Approach

In my blog post last week, I explored the connection between Vital Spirit and health. In my professional work as an herbalist and in my personal life, I believe that a strong and resilient Vital Spirit is the foundation for a healthy and happy life. But how do we strengthen the intangible quality of Vital Spirit? The answer lies in practices that encourage peace, expansiveness, and self-reflection—prayer, meditation, spiritual reading, time in nature, and even creative pursuits where the superficial falls away, and we find our deeper selves. Through these practices, we can be certain that we are living in accordance with our deepest truth.

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Spirituality And Healing: The ETMS Approach And The Importance Of Vital Spirit

In my work, I connect daily with people who have received a diagnosis of cancer or other significant illness. For many, the diagnosis of a life-threatening illness brings life into crystalline focus, making clear what is most important. I believe that a chronic illness, such as cancer, is an invitation to attend to our true nature and to bring our focus into the present moment. This is the essence of the great spiritual teachings of the world, which encourage us to live not in the past or the future, but in the now.

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