A Dialogue of Giving Thanks

I must admit:  there are days when I need my space!  I may feel overloaded by work deadlines.  Projects at home may be piling up.  Family or friends may want to stop and visit.  Internally, I become conflicted:  I want to spend time with loved ones and hear their latest adventures... but what about the deadlines and projects?

And now, with the holidays upon us, it seems that the treadmill has been switched to high gear: time is moving faster; there is less time to get everything accomplished.

How do I stay open to dialogue where I am invited to slow down, notice what is happening, and allow compassion towards self and others to surface?

Giving Thanks: am I thankful for the people in my life?

In these times of stress -- oftentimes, self-imposed! -- I find it important to consider the spheres of influence and responsibility that orbit around each one of us.  As we search for meaning, how do we understand the impact we have on others?  Are we expecting to be brilliant in every encounter?  Or, can we seek balance and stability?

Giving Thanks: how do I experience the
spheres of influence in my life?

In these seasons of thanks and gift-giving, I am reminded of people in my life who are no longer present:  family and church members, teachers, coaches, friends, and colleagues.  In ways not realized at the time, I was touched by their guidance, generosity, self-giving, and kindness.  Forgiveness and reconciliation were exemplified by their acceptance of my uniqueness and our relationship.

Giving Thanks: am I creating a world
of peace and understanding?

Dialogue comes in many forms:

• The ability to be kind to Self in times of stress;
• The longing to be connected to something larger than self; and,
• The willingness to listen, to ask questions, and to understand another.

Dialogue asks of us one thing: Time.  Time to foster the ability, the longing, and the willingness to create a world that is more accepting of who we are and who we are becoming.  And with time, dialogue invites us to give thanks for the mystery surrounding what we know and don't know.

May we be moved towards giving thanks -- not just this week and day set aside -- but for the spheres of influence and impact that have changed us to become better people.

Larry Gardepie

Dialogue San Diego Consulting

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