The holiday season is a time of many blessings, and it’s natural to take a moment to reflect on our lives, relationships, and experiences during the year. 2020 has been unlike any other and, while it’s been full of challenges for us all, there are many things to be thankful for and opportunities to show our gratitude. 

Our family at Authentic Custom Homes are so very thankful for our incredible team and each and every one of you, whether you have purchased a home, are thinking of purchasing a home, or are simply readers of this blog. Communities are built by the kind and caring people who live in them, and we couldn’t be more grateful that you’ve included us in your home-building journey. 

It’s important to be mindful of what brings us feelings of thankfulness and joy. Our team shared with us the things they’re especially thankful for this year.

Our Thankful Thoughts

Being Thankful Is Good For the Soul

Thankfulness is a feeling of appreciation of life’s blessings, and taking time to enjoy life’s special moments with the people we love the most is the highlight of the holidays. Taking it a step further, gratitude is the expression of these feelings of thankfulness. When we act on them, it enhances our own contentment and happiness while also positively impacting those around us. 

Robert Emmons, the author of The Little Book of Gratitude and the world’s leading scientific expert on gratitude, says gratitude is regular affirmation of goodness in our lives and surroundings. Practicing gratitude is a personal celebration of the positive things in life with the intent of paying it forward. In a recent study by his team, people who practice gratitude exercises consistently reported significant improvement in their physical, psychological, and social well-being.  

Four Ways to Cultivate Gratitude

Keep a gratitude journal
Take a little time each day to write down at least one thing you’re grateful for, no matter if it’s big or small. It can be something as simple as a kind text you received from a friend or a cup of delicious hot cocoa. The simple act of writing down your blessings can help lower stress, increase feelings of calm, and improve sleep. It’s also a way to maintain clarity of the things that are most important to you so you can identify ways to bring into your life more of what brings you happiness. 

Help someone else
Helping others is not only good for them, it can also increase our feelings of thankfulness and happiness. Reaching out and serving our friends and neighbors creates connections and builds community. This holiday season, consider volunteering at or donating to a food bank or another favorite charity, helping an elderly neighbor with something around their house, or offering your expertise to a local non-profit organization. Doing something as a family is also a wonderful opportunity to reinforce the importance of generosity and kindness to the kids, like contributing to a toy drive or collecting supplies for a local homeless shelter. 

Smile 
Studies show that facial expressions affect our feelings and behaviors. It’s true, smiling can make us happier! Smiling is also contagious because as humans we instinctively follow the principle of reciprocity (we want to give what we get). Smiling at someone usually makes them smile back in return, creating a happy loop of positive feelings. It opens up our minds and hearts to new experiences and people, which are ingredients for a life well-lived.

Practice mindfulness
Mindfulness is the exercise of being present in the moment and becoming intensely aware of emotions and thoughts in our current environment. Through a few minutes of deep breathing, meditation, or guided imagery, we allow the past and future to fall away while focusing on the here and now. Spending these precious moments with our thoughts and taking in the sights and sounds of our surroundings can have a profound grounding effect. It also creates opportunities to be conscious of life’s many blessings and spaces for feelings of thankfulness and gratitude to flourish. 

The Authentic Custom Homes family wishes you and your family a very happy Thanksgiving full of family, love, and great food!