Giving Thanks on Thanksgiving

American Thanksgiving is just a few days away. It is easy to overlook why we are really gathering and celebrating with families and friends: to give thanks to our loved ones and the people who have supported us and served us this past year. As a matter of fact, the whole day can be lived by many of us without ever saying thank you, expressing our gratitude and truly feeling grateful.

While some of us might wake up happy and cheerful, it is not uncommon to actually not be present to being grateful. And, if for one reason or another we happen to start the day sad, even in a funk, frustrated or resisting how the day might unfold, we more likely won’t be able to feel grateful and possibly won’t have the capacity to give thanks.

My wish for you this Thanksgiving is

• To take the time to reflect about what you are grateful for in your life and who in your circles you may want to thank on Thanksgiving Day as you retire for the night prior to Thanksgiving.
• To wake up on Thanksgiving Day with a heartfelt and clear intention to be present to gratitude and to let it fill you up so that as you go about your day, you kindly give thanks to the people around you.

My wish for all of us is that as soon as we open our eyes, realizing that we are alive, that we let that actualization give us joy. In that moment, may we not take “being alive” for granted. In being present to this gift, we begin being fully present to the abundance of life and the attitude of gratitude. Let us be grateful for people’s uniqueness and even their imperfections. Let us recognize others for what they do bring into our lives as opposed to what we wish they could – we must acknowledge what is positive and what is good in others.

My wish for all of us is to unite in thought on Thanksgiving to be grateful for the people who love us, who inspire us, those who serve us in so many facets of life, those who give us joy and for whatever we do have. Let us have the authentic capacity to look in the eyes of our children, our friends, our parents, our relatives and everyone else we interact with to give our thanks with total presence.

Join me in reaching out and giving thanks as you greet people in your home, as you pay a cashier at a store, as you check out at the grocery counter, as you buy a cup of coffee, as you are about to be served around the table!

Wherever you are, I thank you for taking the time to read my articles, blog posts, eBooks and newsletters and for being part of my network. I thank everyone here and abroad who has given me the opportunity to advocate for diversity for our leadership teams and our boards and to be an active catalyst for change and transformation towards instilling a culture of wellness for individuals, leadership teams, boards and organizations.

I wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving! Let us give thanks every day!