An Attitude of Gratitude

We should celebrate Thanksgiving 365 days a year.

One of my connections, Tim Sanders, sent me this story today in my email. I thought it was so appropriate, I wanted to share it with you!

Twenty or so years ago while I was living in Dallas, I worked at a company where the president had an annual tradition of buying everybody turkeys, closing shop at lunch on Wednesday and giving us a long weekend to celebrate. I was mulling around the break room the day before Thanksgiving and I asked our new employee Joe, how he and his family planned on celebrating. 

 What he said next stopped me in my tracks: “We celebrate Thanksgiving every single day in our house.” He went on the explain that he had recently relocated his family from a dangerous neighborhood to one close to our office after getting the job. Instead of worrying about their next meal or being a victim of crime, every day they had all they needed and felt safe. So for him, Thanksgiving was really for the rest of us – those that needed such a reminder to feel grateful. 

That conversation reminded me of something my grandmother always said: “Gratitude is a muscle and if you don’t work it out, you’ll get spiritually flabby.” She believed that we needed to find time every morning to give thanks as a way of “exercising our gratitude.” 

Why is gratitude so important? First of all, it’s a boost to your health, according to a study conducted at UC Davis, where those who made a practice of integrating gratitude into their routine enjoyed better moods and experienced fewer physical ailments. For your attitude, consider gratitude a tonic that will help you get along better with others, overcome adversity and be more generous. Or as one taxi driver told me: Gratitude will give you a gracious attitude.” 

Make every day Thanksgiving by integrating action into your life that reminds you of how much you really have.

How do you show your gratitude?