When I was in high school, I would end every class period by thanking my teacher. It was simple, and after a few weeks, I didn't even need to think about it anymore. I had no idea what an impact this was until parent-teacher night. My parents came home telling me how much the teachers loved me and appreciated my daily thanks. I was quiet in class, but my teachers noticed me for my thankfulness.
Receiving thanks should not stand out. It should not be a unique or strange occurrence. I was glad my teachers appreciated me, but I couldn't help thinking that it was strange that not more students did this. Why don't more people do this in general? People are so stingy with their thanks nowadays. I wonder if this is why people find it so hard to be thankful?
When it hits November, all the conversations seem to center around what people are thankful for. The problem is simply that, people don't think about their blessings or express their thankfulness until November. Even then, people feel compelled to be thankful for something only because everyone else is. I think that if people were truly thankful, they would remember more often.
This constant thankfulness doesn't happen overnight. It takes time to get into a habit of thankfulness. Take stock of your life. What do you have to be grateful for? Even in times of financial, political, or personal strife, there are always things to be thankful for. Even little things deserve recognition, like having a comfy bed, getting encouraging texts from your mom, or having the money to buy yourself some ice cream. These things are small and seemingly insignificant, but they are things to be thankful for.
It is great to recognize your blessings on Thanksgiving, don't get me wrong, but I think we should get into a habit of being thankful all the time. How about being thankful for the snow in January, the beautiful flowers in the spring, the Fourth of July fun in the summer, and all the things in between. There are things to be thankful for all year long if we only recognize them.
If we live a life of thankfulness, it will change our outlook on life. You know how at Thanksgiving you tend to be more patient with people and circumstances because you have recently thought of how thankful you are for things? What if you could have this mindset all year? I think that considering your blessings and how thankful you are for people and situations in your life helps you to be more patient and have a better outlook.
Finally, outwardly showing your thankfulness, though thanking people regularly or expressing your thankfulness can make a difference on the rest of the world. The world often forgets to thank anyone for anything, so make saying "thank you" cool again, by saying it all the time! Thank everybody for everything and see how much it changes your attitude and the attitude of people around you!
So as you prepare for Thanksgiving and reflect on all you are thankful for and remember to extend your thankfulness for the rest of the year!