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Thankful Beyond Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Day

Thanksgiving Day can be traced back to a harvest feast in 1621 shared by the Plymouth Pilgrims and the Wampanoag people. A couple of centuries passed before then-President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed the first official Thanksgiving holiday during the Civil War in 1863. 

We continue to celebrate Thanksgiving Day here in the United States on the fourth Thursday of every November and in Canada on the second Monday of every October.

In many households, the day has become less about giving thanks as the emphasis has shifted to the three F's. Family, Food, and Football. Anticipation grows for the table spread with turkey, stuffing, cranberries, pumpkin pie, and the usual leftovers.

Family, food, and football are all worth looking forward to. I hope you find yourself time to be thankful for each and more.

I am thankful for family getting together while sharing delicious food and wonderful fellowship. I'll treasure the time with my daughter and son even more since losing my oldest son to COVID-19 two years ago. He'll be missed and I'm sure we'll share a few stories about his love for a bountiful feast.

I am thankful for the chance to share another Thanksgiving with my beautiful wife Barb, after she spent the 2021 Holiday fighting the effects of COVID-19, with no real assurances that she would make it home to share future celebrations.

Giving Thanks

What do you have to be thankful for on Thanksgiving Day? 

Take some time on this upcoming fourth Thursday to reflect on the question. Television ads and social media have made it easy to envy what others have and concentrate on what you lack. It's all about perspective. There will always be people who have more, just as there are a plethora of people everywhere who have less.

If you got up today and can read this post, YOU have something to be thankful for. Life is a gift and that alone should promote thankfulness. Although you may not be living the life of your dreams yet, you can live your best life at this very moment by showing gratitude for what you do have. When you are grateful for what you currently have, maintaining a positive outlook, you allow yourself to be open to receiving more.

"When you arise in the morning give thanks for the food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies only in yourself." 

-Tecumseh

Benefits of Thankfulness

Why should you be thankful, concentrating on what you have over what you lack? The benefits of an attitude of gratitude are well-documented and are a bargain because they come without cost, requiring only a change in mindset.

The benefits of thankfulness include:

• Greater happiness
• Improved mental health
• Better recovery from trauma or illness
• Stronger relationships
• Ability to overcome adversity
• Finer physical health
• Lower risk of depression
• Stress relief 

Thankful Beyond Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Day is a built-in motivator to encourage you to slow down and appreciate life. The name itself prompts you to reflect on your blessings and appreciate them. Be sure to give thanks this Holiday.

But why stop there?

I want to both encourage and challenge you to fill your heart and mind with thankfulness beyond Thanksgiving. I spend time every day giving thanks for the good things in my life, including the challenges and trials that build my strength and faith.

Because there are so many wonderful benefits of living a thankful life, I want to give you a few tools that will help you make gratitude a regular part of your life. I'd like you to review some earlier posts that have also discussed being grateful and positive.

Please read: 80 Things to be Grateful For

and 40 Positive Affirmations

There are so many diverse ways of displaying gratitude, but it can be tough to get started if it hasn't been a regular practice to date. I want to list a few that have helped me that you can incorporate easily to apply and edify your feelings of gratitude.

1. Use a Journal.

*You have seen me recommend journaling many times before in my post. I do it because writing down things is one of the easiest and most rewarding ways to organize your thoughts.

*Using a pen and paper will work, but gratitude journals are effective because they give you a designated place to write and offer prompts to stimulate your mind.

2. Thankful Walk

*A pair of feet or mobility device and thankfulness are all that's required here. Walking in and of itself is medically proven to improve heart health, increase energy, and decrease blood pressure. Add in gratitude for an added benefit. 

*Be grateful for the things you encounter on your walk. I find myself thankful for things like the sun on my face, the sound of birds singing, the gentle refreshing breeze, and my ability to walk on my own. What can you observe on your next walk?

"The world has enough beautiful mountains and meadows, spectacular skies and serene lakes. It has enough lush forests, flowered fields, and sandy beaches. It has plenty of stars and the promise of a new sunrise and sunset every day. What the world needs more of is people to appreciate and enjoy it." 

-Michael Josephson

3. Thankful Prompts

*Some simple prompts that make you think about surroundings, people, and things in your life are a powerful help to jump-start your attitude of gratitude. Here are just a few examples. How many more can you produce?

• I am thankful for these three people in my life
• I am thankful for these three foods
• I am thankful for these three things about my spouse
• I am thankful for these three things about where I live
• I am thankful for these three things about myself
• And so many more you can develop for yourself

4. Gratitude Coin

*This one may sound elementary and simple, but it is one I like and can take with me everywhere I go. I use a dollar coin (mine is a gold Sacagawea because it stands out from the other coins), but you can use another coin, a unique pebble, or another small trinket to get the same result.

*I keep it in my pocket or place it on the desk beside me when I'm working. Whenever I feel it in my pocket or see it on my desk, I take a moment to think of at least two things I am thankful for that day.

*When I remove the coin at the end of the day and place it with my keys and wallet, I take another moment to recall those things I thought about earlier in the day. That gives me an extra mindfulness shot to finish off my day on a positive note.

The above are the exercises and things I utilize daily. There are many more that you can find with a little research. The key is to find the processes that you can stick with and allow them to become part of your routine.

Still need a little help building a future of thankfulness?

Here are some thankfulness affirmations:

1. I will show appreciation for the loved ones in my life
2. I have so much to be thankful for
3. I look forward to the goodness today will bring me
4. I am thankful for my faith
5. I am filled with joy and thankfulness
6. I am thankful for my health and healing
7. I am proud and thankful to be the person that I am
8. I am thankful for the food on my table
9. I and grateful and willing to help someone else today

"I have a lot to be thankful for. I am healthy, happy and I am loved." 

-Reba McEntire

Here are some thankfulness Bible verses:

1. Psalm 107:1 - O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good: for His mercy endureth forever.
2. Philippians 4:6 - Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
3. Colossians 3:15-17 - And let the peace of God rule your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.
4. Psalm 100:4 - Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name.

Final Thoughts on Thankfulness

My driving purpose in each post I write is to help you live your best life possible. I hope that you find encouragement and help when you visit my site. I thank you for being here. We are all in this crazy life together. If there is ever a topic that you feel would help you or someone you know, please reach out to me at dan@dansbeenthinking.com.

Thankfulness is a choice to show appreciation for what you have or receive. It is an affirmation of goodness on your part. You affirm with intent that there are good things in the world that you benefit from.

"There are two ways of spreading light; to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it." 

-Edith Wharton

Choosing thoughts of thankfulness over lack means you pick positive over negative and that benefits you and those you encounter. Being a beacon for others is a wonderful part of living your best life. Your attitude of thankfulness can create a ripple effect touching the lives of everyone who crosses your path.

I have so much in my life to be thankful for. I express that consciously every day. I have encountered loss, defeat, hurt, and sorrow many times in my life. Yet I still feel blessed beyond the measure I deserve. Being thankful reminds me that not everything in life is bad.

I believe that you can find more good than bad to call to remembrance. Thoughts of thankfulness can have positive effects across every portion of your life. Don't let that effect occur on Thanksgiving Day only. 

Here's to choosing to be thankful for every tomorrow that lies ahead.

Now go live your best life,

Dan