With Thanksgiving just a few days away, it’s a good time to ponder what we are thankful about this year. We certainly spend enough time thinking about what gets on our nerves that it’s a good change of pace to consider what we appreciate.
A good place for us to start is with those who work closely with us. How would we function without them? What have they contributed this year to innovation, growth, and customer service, not to mention making our jobs easier? All are good points for expressing thanks.
Mark Twain might suggest we even take this a step further. He once said, “Let us be thankful for the fools. But for them the rest of us could not succeed.” There is a silver lining to consider even with challenging people.
But certainly with our reflection we must go beyond just bottom line results. Someone once said, “It isn’t what you have in your pocket that makes you thankful, but what you have in your heart.” If our hearts are low on thanks, maybe the real issue is with us and the coming months will provide a great opportunity for changing that. Our personal growth and development this year may be cause for thanks next year.
Thanksgiving also gives us an opportunity to take stock in what matters most. As Oprah Winfrey once said, “Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.” At times we expend too much effort reaching for what we don’t have and not enough time appreciating what is right in front of us. No time like the present to reverse that trend.
Hopefully we each have plenty to be thankful for this year. By expressing our appreciation we will only invite more opportunity and happiness into our lives.