Hello and welcome to all our new subscribers since the last issue. Thanksgiving is just around the corner … WOW! As I mentioned in the last issue, the first half of November is for me, all about the San Francisco Green Business Conference, and Green Festival.
Both of these provide a nice segue into the spirit of Thanksgiving. I feel very blessed and grateful to belong to this amazing community of people who through their vision, courage and determination are taking action every single day to make the planet a better place for all of us, one community at a time, one step at a time …
Be sure to visit my blog where I've shared some insights and highlights from the conference, as well as a couple of noteworthy products I discovered at the festival.
This week's article is about gratitude and giving --the two hallmarks of Thanksgiving and the holiday season. If you're looking for a meaningful way to give back this holiday season please take a few minutes (about 15) to watch this video of Tony Robbins telling the moving story from his childhood that inspired him to start his International Basket Brigade program which now feeds over 3 million hungry people in 34+ countries on Thanksgiving and Christmas.
And if you'd rather avoid the crowds and long lines at the stores this Thanksgiving, then take advantage of our Early Bird Holiday Special --it's good through December 2nd!
Yours in health and prosperity,
Donya
p.s. If you like our products then help us spread the word! Follow us on Twitter or become a fan of Dropwise on Facebook.
Giving Thanks All Year Round: What Are You Grateful For?
The pilgrims of Plymouth, Massachusetts are the iconic inspiration for the modern Thanksgiving Day feast. When the winter of 1620 wiped out close to half their colony they formed a relationship with the native Wampanoag Tribe, who taught them about fishing, hunting, and planting. By the beginning of the following fall, the colonists had collected enough food to feed their entire community for the whole winter. Members of the tribe who had taught them how, joined them in a 3-day feast to celebrate their bounty. This event is now thought of as the first Thanksgiving meal.
Later generations of colonists considered Thanksgiving a religious holiday originating from the Puritan days of fasting, praying, and giving thanks to God. The actual timing of early Thanksgiving celebrations varied from colony to colony until 1777 when a group of them got together and agreed to celebrate it on the same day. It wasn’t until 1863 that President Abraham Lincoln declared the last Thursday of November to be Thanksgiving Day --a national holiday.
By the middle of the 20th century a variety of related traditions emerged --from the Thanksgiving Day football games to the Macys Thanksgiving Day parade. The latter event quickly turned this day of reverence into a "kick-off" for the holiday shopping season.
Whether you view Thanksgiving as a religious celebration, a pagan tribute to the bounty of Mother Nature, or the official ringing in of the holiday season, the celebration of Thanksgiving gives us a rare opportunity to take a collective time out --to reconnect with loved ones and remember just how much we have to be thankful for. The joy we feel during this time of sharing and connection is a powerful reminder of the importance of practicing its hallmarks --gratitude and giving-- all year.
If you want a better life, better health, and a sense of being connected and hopeful, the best way to experience those things is to give. Science bears witness to this phenomenon. In her book 29 Gifts: How a Month of Giving Can Change Your Life, Cami Walker documents how developing the practice of giving one gift a day for 29 days (the "prescription" of an African Medicine Woman she knew) helped her transcend the darkness, despair and pain of dealing with the sudden onset of Multiple Sclerosis.
The gifts she gave were not necessarily material or tangible (though some were). It was in the act of giving and sharing --the small gestures that show people you care; a kind word instead of keeping quiet; the sincere gratitude you express to someone for assisting you in some way-- that enabled her to shift her focus away from her pain and illness and once again reclaim joy in her life. This pattern of gift giving was so freeing and empowering for her, she still continues to repeat the cycle over and over.
Giving usually starts with the people you're closest to, but helping people you don't know has a much more profound effect because of the energetic vibration that's created by spreading joy and goodwill and the practice of paying it forward (i.e. when someone does something nice for you, you're more inclined to reciprocate or do something nice for someone else).
Once the season of giving has passed, it's easy to slip out of the flow of generosity and gratitude and become mired in the day-to-day frustrations of life. Here are some quick suggestions to help you cultivate a regular practice of gratitude and giving that extends beyond Thanksgiving and lasts throughout the year:
Keep a Gratitude Journal
A gratitude journal is a simple daily log of all the things you are grateful for in your life. It doesn't have to be anything fancy or elaborate. It can be as simple as 'I'm grateful for the air I breathe' or 'I'm grateful for a warm, dry, bed to sleep in.' This is a powerful tool for focusing your energy on what you already have in your life rather than what's missing. It conditions your mind to automatically see the good in everything around you and encourages you to see the universe as a friendly and supportive place
Give Generously and Often
Generosity towards others is intrinsic to the heart. Look at your daily interactions as countless opportunities for generosity --everything from small meaningful gestures to large sweeping ones make a difference. Let the needs of the people you encounter dictate the best way to give, whether it's a friend who could use some emotional support, a family member who needs a lift, or a cause that depends on donations of money or time. It's not so much about what you have to offer, how much money you have to give away, or who you are, as it is about being available, willing and open to those in need.
Teach Your Children Well
Practicing spirituality is often a solitary endeavor, but the cultivation of gratitude together with others --especially your family or your community-- feels much bigger. It's like you’re creating joy in your individual lives and communities that radiates outward into the world-at-large. Teach your children to celebrate what's right in the world by asking them every day what good thing happened to them. Like the Gratitude Journal, this conditions them early on to see the bright side of life and helps them carry that into adulthood. Turn them onto the concept of volunteering and giving to those who are less fortunate, and watch them light up. This behavior will also become an integral part of their lives when they grow up.
To learn more or participate in the 29 Gifts Challenge visit http://www.29gifts.org. To help those less fortunate enjoy Thanksgiving Day consider doing a volunteer shift in your local soup kitchen or visit the Anthony Robbins Foundation web site and join his International Basket Brigade program.
Copyright 2009 Dropwise Essentials
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Donya Fahmy, is a green business owner and the creator of Dropwise Essentials' spa-quality aromatherapy body products that help you safely relieve stress, increase vitality, improve confidence, or simply manage your emotional state any time or place without popping a pill. For more free tips and valuable information visit www.dropwise.com and subscribe to the Dropwise Health & Beauty News Ezine or blog feed.
Dropwise Essentials is a San Francisco-based manufacturer of pure aromatherapy and organic plant-based personal care products that give people a safe and effective way to relieve stress, increase vitality, improve confidence, or manage their emotional state any time or place without popping a pill. Our products are:
- Free of synthetic chemicals and petroleum ingredients
- Made with high quality certified organic oils and pure essential oils sourced from around the world
- Packaged in re-usable or recyclable materials
- Hand-made locally in northern California
Dropwise Essentials was founded by Donya Fahmy, a writer, producer, and consultant whose avid interest in the curative powers of aromatherapy and herbs ultimately led her to design and create the seven products and seventeen unique essential oil blends that make up the current Dropwise product line. She has studied aromatherapy with Carol Schiller - a successful author of several aromatherapy books - and with Dr. Daniel Penoel - a renowned expert in the field of medical aromatherapy.
Dropwise Essentials is a proud member of the Indie Beauty Network (formerly the Handmade Beauty Network), the Green America Business Network (formerly Co-op America), Green Product Alliance, Natural Ingredient Resource Center, and a Friend of PETA. We were among the first companies to join the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics by signing their Compact for Safe Cosmetics - which simply formalizes our existing commitment to formulate products free of known or potentially toxic ingredients.
Loading... Please wait...
Return to Newsletter Archive
