With Thanksgiving just a couple of days away, I’m sure many of us are looking forward to some time to rest. Typical Thanksgiving traditions involve a couple of days off work, good food, and spending time with loved ones around a table sharing what you are thankful for.
Thanksgiving is a time to pause and reflect. As we trudge toward the end of the year and get ever so closer to the new one, taking time to appreciate the past and turn toward the future can serve to be a refreshing practice.
I heard once that you are the sum total of the people around you. The expectations from others that are spoken or unspoken can impact us as well, for better or for worse. People are quick to attach labels to one another and to make judgments based on their assumptions. It’s easy to adopt the assumptions others have of ourselves without really stopping to evaluate if they are true. That can be an ingredient for preventing our growth in two ways.
First, depending on who is in our circle, those assumptions could be negative and may get in the way of personal progress. There are times when a person looking on from their outside perspective just does not know what it has taken for you to get to where you are. Your journey is invisible to them.
To illustrate this generally, picture two people standing on a flat plane. One person is panting, bent over, hands on their knees. Behind them is a steep hill they just climbed. The other person faces them standing tall, and behind them is a short, flat path. Both have reached the same point, although it’s taken one significantly more work to reach that point than the other. The one with more energy might call the other weak but in reality, they don’t know their strength and what they have had to overcome.
On the other side of the coin, the assumptions of a person may hold a person back in the opposite way. Using the above illustration, the one who has had the short walk could be buttered up and applauded as the stronger one, even though in reality they have not yet pushed themself to their limit.
The point is, YOU are the ONLY person in the entire world who most fully understands you. YOU know where you have come from and everything you have overcome to get to where you are now, whether that struggle is known or unknown to others. At the same time, YOU know your limits and how far you can still push yourself to be the most fulfilled version of yourself that you know you can be.
But regardless of where you are now, you can’t stay there. You need to move forward and grow. So, here’s where that Thanksgiving dinner table conversation can kick in. What are you thankful for? As you look toward your future and start cooking up plans to reach your goals, take time to look around at the resources in your life that are already available to you. Take stock of the people in your life that lift you up and speak truth to you in a balance of affirmation and constructive criticism. Take advantage of the tools that surround you that could help push you closer to your goals.
Thanksgiving is a time to reflect, and that is both freeing and challenging. You are free to give yourself grace and embrace your successes. But you also must accept that there is more work to be done as you continue in your journey, and you must embrace the tools around you to achieve those goals.
I am rooting for you as you rest during this holiday. And reach out if any of us here can support you on your journey!
Hint: there were Thanksgiving phrases peppered (ha!) throughout this article – try and see if you can spot them!
Written by: MELINDA MARRIOTT, Executive Recruiter
Melinda Marriott is a recent graduate of William & Mary with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and in Government. She is a hard-working individual with an enthusiasm for learning and embracing opportunities, and a desire to improve the lives of others. Melinda has established herself as a knowledgeable recruiter in the ABA industry. As a recruiter for TYGES Behavioral Health, Melinda strives to connect outstanding ABA professionals with the most fitting opportunities to benefit both them and their clients.
In her free time, Melinda can be found exploring Williamsburg, reading, listening to music, or being with people in her community.
“We’re here to make good things happen for other people.“
