Be Thankful and Give Thanks
This week people across the United States will celebrate Thanksgiving. The holiday has its origins going back to the 1600s with the Pilgrims but it wasn’t until Abraham Lincoln formally acknowledged the last Thursday in November as the day of celebration that we collectively recognized the day as a nation.
In 1939 Franklin D. Roosevelt made a change to the last Thursday in November tradition when there were five Thursdays during the month. FDR declared the fourth Thursday to be the official day of Thanksgiving and the Senate ratified the decision in 1942, making the fourth Thursday in November Thanksgiving in America.
We don’t need to wait for Thanksgiving to be thankful. The truth is there is much to be thankful for every single day and many times throughout each day. Unfortunately it’s human nature to take things for granted and it’s not until someone or something is missing that we realize how little we appreciated those people or things. Why is that the case? It’s the way humans are wired. It’s the principle of scarcity in action.
Did you know you can resist your wiring to get a better result and a better life? Something I’ve done is put a reminder on my calendar. Each day at 6:25 AM a message pops up:
“This is the day the Lord has made. I will be glad and rejoice in it. Today will be a good day because I will approach everything with a positive attitude and I will learn from every situation.”
Am I always thankful and appreciative? Nope, but I know I’m more thankful and appreciative because of that little message. Not only do I see it, I say to myself as a sort of promise.
So what am I thankful for? Far too many things to list in this post but here are a few that come to mind:
- My faith and relationship with the Lord. I would not be who I am without Him.
- My wife Jane our daughter Abigail. They have made me a better person.
- My family. Everyone is alive and healthy.
- Jane’s family. They’ve been amazing in-laws, every one of them.
- My career. I love what I do and the people I work with.
- Our home. We have a beautiful little house that’s perfect for us.
- My health. My mind and body are going strong and hopefully will until I take my last breath.
- Working out. Every day I get to do this in my own gym.
- My passion. I truly have a passion for what I do with Influence PEOPLE.
- My friends. They are amazing.
What are you thankful for? Who are you thankful for? I encourage you this week to make a short list of thanks. Then take time to let the people you’re thankful for know how much you appreciate them. You’ll be amazed at how something that costs you so little can mean so much to others. When you take time to acknowledge others you’ll see why “it’s better to give than receive” because of how good you’ll feel.
Thank you for reading. I hope you and your loved ones have a vey Happy Thanksgiving!
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