Is anyone else struggling a bit to find reasons to be celebratory and thankful right now? I feel you. And I suggest that this might be the most important time to do so, as the dark days ahead loom. Gratitude will help us focus on finding ways forward and avoiding capitulating before the fight has even started. As historian Timothy Snyder puts it, don’t obey in advance.
In order to do that, we have to find hope, and in order to find hope we need to start by finding things to be thankful for. You can start with small things like gratitude journals and mindfulness. These might seem ridiculous or insufficient, but, as they say, don’t knock it until you’ve tried it!
Next, try identifying some specific things you want to accomplish. Even if the world spirals out of control, you don’t have to. If you are at higher risk of being harmed by things like mass deportations, “denaturalizations,” and eroding civil and voting rights, do what you can to protect yourself. (The ACLU’s Know Your Rights guide has helpful information about these issues and others.)
Once you’ve done that, or if you’re fortunate enough to be in a relatively safe position, get really concrete about what you want to accomplish. The clearer and more measurable your goals are, the higher your motivation to achieve them will be, and the more you’ll be able to identify that you’ve gotten there. The example I often cite is that “I want to lose weight” isn’t specific enough to drive your success, but “I want to lose 10 lbs.” is, since it shows you your bar for success, and it lets you put together clear action steps. You can add some pieces of motivational interviewing techniques to get energized for changes. To make them happen, I like the WOOP method, which also lets you build on what you’ve already accomplished.
And finally, stay connected with your loved ones. Our strength is us, so the more we can be in community with each other, the better we will be able to get through the coming challenges.
So, my friends (in the US—sorry, Canada, I’ve missed yours once again), try to have a happy Thanksgiving.
