A lot of people focus on giving thanks at this time of year, but instead of giving thanks on Thanksgiving, why not try something else?
It Was There All Along
We know that Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks. It’s right there in the name. A holiday name wouldn’t be this on the nose unless they renamed Halloween KidsHoppedUpOnSugarToiletPaperingNeighborsing.
It makes it easy to know what to do: on Thanksgiving, we give thanks. And we should. In fact, we should give thanks every day. If anything, Thanksgiving should be a time we get together as a group and give thanks and share our thanks.
But this time around, instead of giving thanks on Thanksgiving, why not do something different? Sure, you can still give thanks, but here’s something else to focus on, and I think you will agree it’s right in the spirit of Thanksgiving.
A Different Approach to Thanksgiving
This year, instead of giving thanks on Thanksgiving, why not be the reason people give thanks? Why not go out of your way to help people? Why not be the person who helps cook the meal or set the table or run to the kitchen for drinks? Why not add that many more thanks to the holiday?
And if people don’t show appreciation, that’s okay. That’s not what it’s about. Instead, be thankful that you can make the world brighter even if other people don’t see it or appreciate it. People may not notice a barn being painted a little each day, but when it’s finished and the paint is dry and the bright red glows in the morning sun accented by the clean white trim, people will be in awe.
An Extra Helping
It’s not about people noticing or people appreciating what you do. It’s about making the world you live in better over time even if it only seems like a single brush stroke that no one notices.
Be thankful this Thanksgiving. Be thankful early and often. Be thankful that you can make your world better. Be thankful for all that you have: air to breathe, water to drink, food to eat. Be thankful.
But throughout the day when you see an opportunity to give thanks, instead of giving thanks on thanksgiving, find a way to give the people close to you something to be thankful about. Then there will be even more thanks giving.
