November is the month of gratitude. This is the month when we usually give thanks. We do our "30 Days of Thanks" challenges. We tell people why we love them a little bit more often. We give shout-outs.

This is nice and all. I mean, who doesn't love giving back? But I'm wondering why this continues to happen only in the month of November. What about the other 11 months?

November is a very chilly month outside, but in our hearts, we feel warmer. It feels better to give back when it's cold out. The leaves are falling, and there's just something about the entire vibe that makes us want to be thankful.

I can understand that logic, but we should be thankful all the time. The weather shouldn't have to change for that. The leaves shouldn't have to fall for that. The shorter days and longer nights shouldn't make that much of a difference in that aspect.

I was inspired with this by the most recent all-staff meeting I had with my coworkers. We got together, sat together, and ate an early Thanksgiving meal with one another. We shared stories of Thanksgiving traditions and what we were thankful for. We completed gratitude activities, and some had touched a lot of hearts.

This was beautiful, to say the least. It felt very great to know how my coworkers felt about me. It was nice knowing that I had a sense of family and love with everyone else. It felt good to write a thank-you letter to someone I have always loved.

This was all nice, but really, we should be practicing and doing this every month. Instead of November gratitude jars, there should just be gratitude jars. We should all own one for every single year, and we should fill it up to the point where papers are actually falling out.

We should all be thankful for everything we have because there are others less fortunate. So, we should give back as well. Not just for November, but for the rest of the months as well.

Give canned goods and more to a shop or a shelter. Donate clothing you never wear. Some people need it more than you do. Most of us actually have a guaranteed meal for Thanksgiving. We have a roof over our heads. Odds are, we even take all of this for granted.

Let's give thanks, not only today, not only on Thanksgiving, not only this month. Every single day. Gratitude is beautiful. Be the change you want to see in this world.