Wisdom from Dr. Curt Thompson, whose work inspires and guides me. 1/8/26. CBB
“Gratitude is far more than a seasonal sentiment. It is a practice that literally reshapes our brains and our relationships.
Gratitude doesn’t arise effortlessly. It’s cultivated through repetition and intention. Each time we name something good, we direct our attention away from fear and scarcity and toward connection and hope. Over time, these repeated acts strengthen neural pathways that support emotional regulation, resilience, and openness to relationship. In this way, gratitude becomes both a spiritual and neurobiological training regimen.
Scripture has long understood this. For God’s people, thanksgiving was never transactional, it was relational. Gratitude emerged as a response to a God who draws near, who knows and loves His people. When we give thanks, we participate in that same movement. Every “thank you” becomes a small turning:
- toward God
- toward others
- and toward a deeper awareness that we live in a story held together by grace.
This matters even more during holidays. For many, the holiday cxseason brings joy and togetherness; for others, it stirs stress, complexity, or old wounds. Our nervous systems can feel the strain. To support you in those moments, I’ve included a simple breathing practice below; a grounding exercise you can return to when you need steadiness, a way to help your mind and body reorient toward peace and integration.
Before that, I want to pause and offer my sincere thanks. Over the past several months, I’ve had the privilege of engaging with so many of you at gatherings across the country. Just last month, I shared an extraordinary few days at the 5th annual Connections Conference. I’m deeply grateful for every speaker who offered their wisdom, every attendee who showed up with courage, every volunteer who gave so generously of their time, and every staff member whose dedication made those days not only possible but beautiful. Your presence continues to shape the kind of community we long to cultivate—one marked by curiosity, compassion, and connection.
| My hope for you this November is simple: that you might experience moments, perhaps surprising ones, when gratitude opens space inside you. That you might notice the goodness before you, allow it to register in your body, and let it draw you more deeply into the loving community God is forming, both now and in the world to come. Warmly, Curt |
| Breath ExerciseAs we move further into the holiday season, many of us find our nervous systems working harder than we realize. Busy schedules, complicated relationships, and the emotional weight of this time of year can leave us feeling unsettled or overwhelmed. To support you in those moments, I want to offer a simple breathing exercise. This is a short practice you can return to whenever you need grounding. My hope is that it brings a few moments of steadiness, helping your mind and body settle so you can move toward the season with greater openness, presence, and peace. |
| BREATH EXERCISE https://curtthompsonmd.com/reflections/breath-exercise/ |
| You can also find this practice on my website under reflections along with a variety of other reflections. The purpose of these reflections is to assist you in telling your story more truly—the story of goodness and beauty that God is narrating and longs for each of us to hear and occupy. The exercises presented here are to help you focus your attention, provide you an encounter with beauty and develop a curiosity of what it evokes in you — all free from the distractions we so easily fall into.” |
From November 2025 newsletter….