Gratitude in the Real World: Name–Notice–Nurture for Doctor Moms
Dec 02, 2025
Happy Thanksgiving, friends. If you’re catching this between pages, in a quiet kitchen before the house wakes up, or during a drive with a pie buckled into the passenger seat—welcome. With so much happening in the world, it’s natural to ask, “What is the world coming to?” My heart is with anyone suffering today.
Here’s the paradox of days like this: the world’s challenges are real—and so is the power of one steady life. We rise to the moment out there by tending to the moment right here: our breath, our table, our teams, our families. Today’s invitation is simple: celebrate life, be grateful for what you have, and reach for something bigger than yourself… while keeping your nervous system calm enough to enjoy it.
Act I — A steady mind in an unsteady world
Years ago I started a Thanksgiving shift six patients behind. The Emergency Room board was glowing, my shoulders were climbing, and my brain was yelling, “Faster!” Then a mentor’s line floated up: When you feel you must rush—pause. I put one hand on the counter, one on my diaphragm, inhaled slowly, and let the exhale be longer than the inhale. Forty-five seconds. That’s all. It didn’t fix the world—but it steadied mine. I reordered my calls, avoided a medication delay, and the shift flowed—not because I sped up, but because speed stopped driving.
That pause belongs at home, too. Try it in the car before you open the garage door—a tiny bridge between the world you just carried and the one you’re about to enter.
Micro-practice (right now): Inhale 4… hold 4… exhale 6. Whisper, “Here.” Let your shoulders drop.
Act II — Gratitude that notices the ordinary
Gratitude isn’t naïve; it’s disciplined attention. It asks, “What’s right alongside what’s hard?” Start with the marvel that you’re breathing and listening. Then widen the lens: sunlight on the countertop, a child’s grin, a stranger’s kindness, a safe drive home, rain that feeds every tree you’ll walk past today.
Some of the happiest people I know live with an “attitude of gratitude.” It’s a lifelong practice, so make it playful:
Count your blessings: Make a pocket list—health, home, family, friends, colleagues, the basic miracles of sunlight, air, water, food. When upset, read it. Notice how long you stay upset.
See magic again: Walk through your house like it’s a museum of ordinary wonders. The dog’s eyebrows. The steam from a mug. The texture of your sweater. Life is louder than our to-do list if we let it be.
Live in the present: Today may not match your expectations; meet it anyway. The moment in front of you is the only one you can actually touch.
Act III — The Gratitude Game (for kitchens, cars, and call rooms)
Play a simple game today: how many genuine “thank yous” can you offer?
Thank the cashier who’s been up since dawn, the sanitation team, the cleaning staff, the delivery driver, the mail carrier—learn a name if you can and watch a face brighten.
Thank the colleague who covered a shift, the nurse who caught a tiny thing that mattered.
Thank the kid who set the table “their” way. (Perfection is pricey; presence is priceless.)
Increase your number tomorrow. Gratitude multiplies when spoken aloud.
Act IV — Generosity… and the courage to receive
We’re good at giving. Receiving is harder. But when you receive with grace, you let someone else be blessed by their generosity. So if someone offers help or a compliment today, don’t deflect it—take a breath, meet their eyes, and say, “Thank you.”
Two tiny moves that change the air:
Random kindness: Pay for someone’s parking, carry a neighbor’s casserole, or leave a sincere compliment.
Gracious receiving: Accept help or praise without minimizing. Let goodness land.
“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” — often attributed to Winston Churchill
“Everybody can be great, because anybody can serve… You only need a heart full of grace—a soul generated by love.” — Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Service isn’t performance; it’s dignity. Ask: What’s one small thing I can do today that makes someone’s life easier? Then do it.
Act V — Relationships: truth with tact
Holidays gather our favorite people—and our favorite triggers. Choose truth and kindness.
Acceptance with humor: Love them, quirks and all. (They have yours, too.)
Speak plainly, respectfully: “I care about this conversation, and I want to have it when we can give it the space it deserves. Can we table it till Tuesday?”
Repair fast: If voices rise, name it: “We’re both tired. I love you. Let’s reset.”
When in doubt, try the Three-B Check before a tough talk: Brain, Belly, Bladder. Am I clear enough to be kind? Do I need food, water, or a bathroom? Handle the basics first.
Act VI — A guided Thankful Pause (2 minutes)
Sit or stand comfortably. Shoulders soften.
Inhale 4, hold 4, exhale 6—twice.
Hand on heart or diaphragm. “I’m here.”
Name three ordinary things you appreciate in this exact moment.
Set one intention for the next hour: “My only job is ______.”
Final breath in… longer breath out… “Thank you.”
[Music fades]
You didn’t fix everything. You steadied the one person you can actually steer.
Act VII — Notes that light up a day
This week, post or handwrite two-sentence notes:
Appreciation note: “I appreciate you for _____. I’m grateful we’re in each other’s lives.”
Thank-you note: Old-school mail is rare; that’s why it matters. Create a small paper trail of happiness.
Act VIII — When the news is heavy
Equanimity doesn’t mean indifference; it means steadiness with compassion. Try the Name–Notice–Nurture loop:
Name the feeling: “This is sadness” (or anger, worry).
Notice the body: Tight chest? Shallow breath?
Nurture with action: longer exhale, check on a friend, donate $5 to a trusted org, or pause your news feed for an hour.
Then re-enter the day on purpose.
Act IX — A table ritual (borrow mine)
Right before the meal: one sentence per person—“Name an ordinary thing you’re grateful for this month.” Ordinary keeps it honest for kids and adults.
After dishes: a five-minute Gratitude Walk. No podcast, no inbox. One thanks per minute: warm socks, a working car, clear air, that laugh from the other room, the quiet you’re standing in now.
Act X — After today: a gentle pledge
Keep Thanksgiving alive with a tiny rhythm:
Daily: thank one human by name.
Weekly: write one note.
Monthly: do one ten-minute act of service that changes someone’s day.
Presence—not pace—is what our people remember.
Wherever you are—on shift, in motion, or around a crowded table—I’m grateful for you. Celebrate your challenges; they’ve built your compassion. Celebrate your gifts; they’re how you’ll change your corner of the world. Work less. Feel more. Take one Thankful Pause today. You’ve earned it… and you don’t have to earn it.
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Which is your favorite inspirational saying?
“Being authentically YOU is not always the easiest thing to be and I know this cause I’ve had a hard time in the past just being me until I found out who I
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“The best things in life aren’t the things we have, but rather who we get to share these things with. The best” things” in my life are sitting with me on Thanksgiving Day.”
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“I want to share this article with the world as it encompasses every core belief that you, I and most other people in the world of personal development will hold dear.“
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“If there is one thing you can make happen today – let it be a step towards your inner peace. Everything else – happiness, balance, serenity – will sprout from it.”
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“Besides giving thanks, the Thanksgiving holiday is also an opportunity to express love since we’re grateful for the love the Indians showed towards the pilgrims and the love we share with our dear ones.”
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“On Thanksgiving, remember to give thanks for your dreams because whether we realize it or not, dreams fuel our lives; without them there’s no passion and not much point in going on.”
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“this season is a time of reflection and preparation for a new beginning.”
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“Because the world is waiting.”
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“I am most grateful for love and hope my story inspires others to think about the love in their lives.”
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“Because we really need to focus more on what we have, and less on what we don’t.”
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“When we are able to be generous with ourselves, our hearts are full, and we naturally express generosity toward everyone and everything.”
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“Thanksgiving is all about enjoying life. Life is about enjoying life, but especially thanksgiving, and sometimes we need to be reminded of the fact that we’re here to do stuff we love”
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“When we take time to reflect on what makes us most grateful, we usually credit the people who surround and support us, not the accomplishments we achieved in hopes of impressing them.”
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“For whatever reason the Holidays, while bringing out the best in people, also bring up a lot of “problems” and “situations.” This article can help.”
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“I am thankful that I grew up free to go to school, free to choose when I married, free to decide when to have a child — choices some girls don’t have.”
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“I think with the busy-ness of the holidays, it’s good to remember to breathe.”
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“I wish for everyone the chance to become friends with their inner goblins, especially those who cannot be defeated.”
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“it is a good reminder for us to be grateful for what we have and to give to others on this day. To me, that is what Thanksgiving is all about.”
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“There’s a lot to appreciate in life that doesn’t cost a dime.”
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“Inspiration for exercising your gratitude muscle.”
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