Make This Thanksgiving The Most Thankful Yet

With Thanksgiving later this week, I wanted to share a reflection (and a few ideas) you could incorporate into your time with loved ones. The intention is that you can take something you learn here to make this Thanksgiving the most thankful yet!

Gratitude is one of the most abundant things in the world. It’s a gift to everyone involved - the giver gets to reflect positively on the positive impact someone has made on them, and the recipient gets to receive a genuine reminder that they’re loved, seen, appreciated, and valued.

It’s such a powerful force that every day I play a game I call ‘Gratitude Roulette’ where I go in my contacts list, flick my finger to pull up a random set of names, and pick one person in that set to reach out to and let them know I was thinking about them, and recognize them for the good I see them bringing to the world.

Thanksgiving is among my favorite holidays because it normalizes gratitude, and serves as a gateway to more of it. So this Thanksgiving, challenge yourself to be one step more intentional about how you integrate thankfulness into your day. And here are some ideas that I’ll be doing to make this Thanksgiving my most thankful yet. 

First, you can send out dozens of messages. Even if you copy and paste it, sending out messages that say “Happy Thanksgiving! I’m grateful for you and having you in my life.” makes people feel warm because you were thinking about them. Extra points to personalize it with a short reason why, or making it a voice note so that they know you put the time in specifically for them.

Another thing you can do with the people that you’re visiting is tell them directly that you’re thankful for them. As people are mixing, chatting, and preparing the meal, you can put more substance into the conversations you have. More than just catching up, but genuinely acknowledging someone for what they’ve brought to your life. It doesn’t need to be overly sappy, but a quick moment of real connection goes a really long way.

And last, especially for those who will be at a huge feast, is to be grateful for the abundance you live with. To literally look at counters full of food and realize there are so many people who hardly have enough to survive, and you get to enjoy more than you could ever need. Put up a short prayer or meditation reflecting on that and you’ll feel how full your life is. 

Those are just some ideas! I know that some of these things might feel uncomfortable, but they’re well worth it. A grateful life is an amazing life, and I hope you get to feel and share all of the blessings you have this Thanksgiving.

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