Genuine Gratitude on Thanksgiving

We all know the classic Thanksgiving line, “What are you thankful for?”. Some families go around the table and have everyone express gratitude for a blessing in their life.  This is awesome, and it should be encouraged. I want to quickly share a few ways to make that affirmation more impactful, both internally and externally.

The big suggestion I’d make is to share something personal. Think about the last real challenge or struggle you faced. What emotions did you feel, and why did you feel them?  What is the root cause of it, and how did it resolve?  Placing yourself back in the shoes of when you were experiencing that challenge will help you reflect on what got you out of it. Also, giving credit to the people, circumstances, and actions that changed your path are a great source of gratitude.

If you haven’t come across something hugely challenging recently, then think about the biggest change you experienced in your life. How was it before, how is it now, and what lies at the core of that change?  I expect there is a huge blessing built into that change that would be good to share and acknowledge.

Take some time now to think about how either of these thought experiments might relate to your life, and be prepared to get introspective and personal when sharing what you’re thankful for, because that’ll mean the most to yourself and those that you are enjoying the Thanksgiving with.