There's nothing quite like waking up on Thanksgiving morning; the smell of fresh bread moves throughout the house, family is abundant, and a sense of gratitude clings to the air. It is a day of work as well as rest, an in-between holiday meant to bring people together unlike any other. Between avoiding political conversations and attempting to hide the fact that you're on your fifth plate of mashed potatoes, Thanksgiving is a balancing act of food and fun. More than that, it's an opportunity to move from a state of superficiality to one of deep gratitude. With Black Friday is right around the corner, it's easy to lose sight of what truly matters in exchange for material goods. Let's move away from that and work to give thanks every single day.
Ask yourself this: what are you thankful for in life? Think of all the good that surrounds you; you may find that there's more of it than you'd expect. Whether you're aware of it or not, you have hundreds of things to be grateful for every day. Even if you don't possess much materialistically, there is plenty to express love for. On a basic level, think of your friends and family, the people that love and support you and whatever you do. On a deeper level, think of all the "little things" you're able to enjoy: waking up every morning, your daily rituals, your ability to go to school, the sound of birds, the changing of the leaves. When you look for beauty in the world, you start to see a lot more of it.
Once you've found what you're thankful for, you can begin to express your gratitude. Buy your parents flowers, leave a little note of appreciation, remind your friends how much you love them, smile at a stranger, pay it forward, clean the house for your roommates. Be thankful for the life you're so lucky to live and make it known. Perform random acts of kindness whenever you can and don't brag about it. Be the best you possible to show your gratitude for living. Don't be stagnant, don't make it about you, and make thankfulness a practice.
It's too easy to believe that gratitude only matters on Thanksgiving. We often forget to extend this love to everyday life and when we do, we tend to lose sight of what's truly important. Whether or not you believe it, there is always some good to be found and it is your job to do so. Wake up every day with a sense of thanks and share that with the world. Make Thanksgiving a practice and bring more love to your life because though it is a holiday, there's so much more to it than that.
