The Power of Gratitude & Positive Thinking in a Season of Giving (and Buying)
On Black Friday, I saw someone’s post about the irony of how we just had the holiday of gratitude, to be immediately followed by massive consumerism.
Black Friday. Cyber Monday. Holiday bundles. “This only happens once a year!”
It can feel like everything around us is designed to pull our attention outward… and away from what’s already here.
The stretch between Thanksgiving and the New Year is often described as a season of giving—a time filled with gratitude, reflection, and community. And that’s absolutely true. But it’s also a season of flashing sales, countdown timers, and ads telling us what we “need” every time we open our inbox.
And each year it seems to be worse. Before, it was constant email reminders about sales; now it’s multiple emails and texts reminding you of what you left behind in your cart.
That’s why grounding yourself in a gratitude practice isn’t just a feel-good habit—it’s a powerful anchor. Gratitude helps re-center your mind, shift your stress response, and bring you back to a place of abundance instead of scarcity.
A Small Tag That Shifted Everything
My kids’ Montessori school organizes a Giving Tree each year, with items going to a specific non-profit. I remember doing something similar as a kid. I would go with my mom and pick a tag or two off our church’s Christmas tree to donate to a family. Of all the years we did that, the one gift that still sticks out to me today was gloves. Gloves.
Fast forward to when my kids first started attending this school, and I was reading the different tags. Family games, art kits, sensory toys, books, etc. But then mixed in were warm blankets, socks, underwear, and winter boots. It was a gut-punch reminder of how lucky we are.
Since that first year, I have made sure to choose a mix of tags: games and toys, and practical items we all take for granted.
This year, the practical item was “4T underwear.”
One of my kids wears 4T. I have a hard time not tearing up thinking about it now. I cannot imagine being in the position of struggling to provide the very basics to our kids.
So for me, that tag wasn’t just a request. It’s a reminder.
A reminder that gratitude isn’t about having more. It’s about recognizing the significance of what we already have… and how easy it is to forget.
Why Gratitude Matters (Especially Right Now)
Gratitude and positive thinking aren’t about pretending everything is perfect. They’re about training your brain to look for what’s meaningful, grounding, and supportive—even in chaotic seasons.
Our brain is an amazing organ. There’s a term going around right now called neuroplasticity. This means your brain is capable of change. How does that apply to gratitude? Have you ever noticed that when you start focusing on the bad or negative, you find more bad and negative? The same is true about focusing on gratitude and positivity. The more you focus and essentially “train” your brain, the more it looks and finds the good around you.
Why is that important? Research shows that gratitude can:
Reduce stress and overwhelm
Improve sleep
Increase feelings of calm, optimism, and emotional resilience
Strengthen relationships and compassion
Bring more awareness to your choices—everything from your purchases to your health habits
And during a time of year when it feels like everyone wants your attention (and your money), gratitude helps you stay anchored in what actually matters.
Simple Ways to Stay Grounded in Gratitude
You don’t need a long, complicated practice. Try one or two of these:
Start the morning with three things you’re grateful for—no repeats.
Pause before purchasing and ask, “Do I need this… or am I reacting to marketing?”
Write one thank-you note each week—text, email, handwritten, anything.
End the day with a ‘highlight moment’ that made you smile or feel grounded. We do rose/thorn with our kids most evenings.
Give in ways that feel meaningful, not pressured—time, attention, compassion, or even a simple kindness.
Even 30 seconds of gratitude shifts your nervous system from “go-go-go” to something softer, steadier, and more intentional.
Holding Gratitude Close
As you move through this season—yes, the season of giving, but also the season of “buy now!” banners—come back to the present. Come back to your breath. Come back to what you have, who you have, and the privileges that can be easy to overlook.
Those Giving Tree tags get me every year. They remind me that gratitude isn’t just a practice—it’s a perspective.
A perspective that helps us appreciate the fullness of our lives, make grounded choices, and remember that abundance isn’t measured in what we buy…but in what we already have.
Here’s to staying centered, present, and truly grateful this season.