We all probably had some challenges in 2017 (because of life and because we are human). There were probably some blessings too. Have you ever said thank you for a year as it’s winding down? Try it. It’s also like saying thank you to yourself because you’re the main actor in it.
Here are some ways to say thank you to 2017.
Write To It
Pretend 2017 is a person. Imagine what they look like, how tall they are, what they’re wearing, etc. What’s 2017’s name? (Mine’s called Erica, by the way! She’s blonde, wears vibrant-red lipstick, and wears a red coat and a red beret.)
Write a thank-you letter to 2017. When you’ve written it, you could take it further and read it out loud; 2017 is everywhere, after all (well, until 31st Dec)!
Or, you could get an empty chair or sofa, pretend 2017 is sitting there and read it to them. If you want to take it even further, get a real person to pretend they’re 2017.
Make a Collage
Create a thank-you collage – a collage of gratitude. Look through magazine/newspaper clippings for various images that represent certain life events of your year that you’re thankful for. You could search online for images, print them out and use them. Glue your found images to a sheet of paper or a canvas and embellish the collage with paint, ribbons, feathers, buttons, or whatever the creative part of you feels like adding.
(Additional suggestion: Create a thank-you collage for the year to come. Think about what you want for your year ahead and thank 2018 for the blessings to come. For example, the job promotion you’ll receive, the three-week Spanish holiday you’ll go on, or the well-deserved break you’ll have at Tewkesbury Park).
Send a Thank You Card
Buy or make a thank you card. Remember, 2017 is a person. Write some platitudes. Make up an address, one that definitely doesn’t exist, like:
Miss Erica T. Seventeen, 2017 Tee-Seventeen Drive, London. Then post it! It won’t go anywhere, but 2017 will get it, somehow.
A ‘Thank You’ gathering
You could have a Thank You 2017 gathering, inviting various friends/family; a gathering thanking 2017 for the lessons and the blessings. You could encourage everyone to write a thank you note or letter to their 2017 and share with everyone if they feel comfortable with this.
You could all also think about what you’re willing to let go of in 2017, what you’re willing to give 2017 to take away with it, and thank it for that too. (2017 is an ocean. It can carry much.)
When you’re thankful/grateful for various things in your life, it can sometimes shift the way you see certain challenges and put them into perspective. It’s like looking at it from a higher wider angle. You’re the eagle, not the ant.
Looking at the year from a place of gratitude can be a powerful position to look from.
Use it.
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