In the midst of figuring out the perfect presents for everyone on our lists, it’s easy to forget that we have so much already. And I don’t mean ‘stuff.’ The commercialization and consumerism of Christmas is an epidemic that seems to get worse every year… but that doesn’t mean it has to dominate our celebrations. Gratitude lists are all the buzz lately, and for good reason: pausing to reflect can improve our overall sense of well-being. There have been numerous studies about this topic; this article from UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Magazine provides a concise summary. I chose today’s song because it’s a call to pause, reflect, and look outside of ourselves. It’s not precisely a Christmas song, but it appears on Josh Groban’s Noel album, so I’m considering it fair game for our countdown 🙂
Thankful, Josh Groban (songwriters: David W Foster / Richard James Page / Carole Bayer Sager)
Some days we forget
To look around us
Some days we can’t see
The joy that surrounds us
So caught up inside ourselves
We take when we should give.
So for tonight we pray for
What we know can be.
And on this day we hope for
What we still can’t see.
It’s up to us to be the change
And even though we all can still do more
There’s so much to be thankful for.
Look beyond ourselves
There’s so much sorrow
It’s way too late to say
I’ll cry tomorrow
Each of us must find our truth
It’s so long overdue
So for tonight we pray for
What we know can be
And every day we hope for
What we still can’t see
It’s up to us to be the change
And even though we all can still do more
There’s so much to be thankful for.
Even with our differences
There is a place we’re all connected
Each of us can find each other’s light
So for tonight we pray for
What we know can be
And on this day we hope for
What we still can’t see
It’s up to us to be the change
And even though this world needs so much more
There’s so much to be thankful for
