Having gratitude, appreciation and being thankful EVERYDAY, not just on Thanksgiving

What if we treated everyday like Thanksgiving? Having a full day of just gratitude,

appreciation and truly being thankful. Thanksgiving is one day that we focus on these feelings, but isn’t it something we should do every day, not just one day per year?

What is Thanksgiving anyway?

thanks·giv·ing

noun

1. the act of giving thanks; grateful acknowledgment of benefits or favors…

2. an expression of thanks...

3. a public celebration in acknowledgment of divine favor or kindness.

4. a day set apart for giving thanks...

Yes, a lot of us spend Thanksgiving eating until we are stuffed, spending time with family and friends, watching football and the Thanksgiving Day Parade but do we take the time to really think about what the definition of Thanksgiving is AND why we celebrate it?

For me, the part of this Thanksgiving definition that pops out to me is a public celebration in acknowledgment of divine favor or kindness.

So, do we really acknowledge enough? Show it and share it?

I started this morning off by being grateful and thankful for my friends and family. I took those thoughts and feelings one step further and TOLD each one of them how I was feeling; thanking them for being in my life and how special and important they are to me. As I sat with these feelings, thinking about each person and crafting each message, I found myself flooded with emotions.

And trust me when I say, I didn’t always have these feelings. For years, probably even decades I showed very little emotions because emotions and feelings are dumb! (Right!?!?!) I mean really, who wants to cry or be open with feelings? Then just like that, in a flash, I almost died. That single moment changed my entire life. I was 42 years old, at the time, and thinking I was invincible and that I would for sure live to be at least 80. And then I almost didn’t leave the hospital. A routine procedure left me in full sepsis, organ failure, 5 days in a coma and a 30 day stay in the hospital. When I woke up from the medically induced coma, I was a different person. I was extremely grateful to be alive. I was thankful to the surgeon who saved my life. AND, I appreciated my friends who never left my side.

But, in everyday life, trauma set aside, how often do we actually say these (grateful, thankful, appreciative) things…. OUT LOUD.

And why is that? Why not just tell people how we feel for the good things, not just letting them have it after leaving their socks on the floor? What if we did one little thing every day to let those that we love, KNOW that we care; that we appreciate them; that we are thankful for them; that we love them? If every day we showed our appreciation, we can rest knowing that if we don’t wake up tomorrow, that those we care about will KNOW how we feel.

Set a New Daily goal…a challenge:

Choose a something that a friend, partner, kids, family member or whomever you are close to has demonstrated and then tell them! Like actually tell them out loud. Let them know you appreciate them.

Try it, you might actually like how it makes you feel and how it will make others feel.

Life is short my friends. Live a life full of gratitude… Be thankful every day… And take a moment to share those feelings!

So, on this Thanksgiving Day and EVERYDAY, take a moment to appreciate your life and be thankful for those around you! You will be happy that you did!