Thanksgiving was never really a holiday that I had gotten too fired up for. To be honest, it always seemed to be a holdover holiday for me between Halloween and Christmas. It also provided a nice little reprieve for me because it gave me a few days off work as I geared up for a month-long celebration of my birthday and my favorite holiday. I certainly appreciated the abundance of food that came my way and I loved taking a lot of naps whenever I felt the need to. I was never one for Black Friday shopping, so really, it was just a holiday that I could spend resting and gearing up for the final push of the first semester of school. Over the years, however, I have to admit that Thanksgiving has started to grow on me. Sure, the little break from work is nice and I love preparing a smoked turkey for my family, but I've also begun the process of slowing down (old age) and really appreciating the fact that I have a lot to be thankful for. Giving thanks shouldn't be a holiday thing, but rather, a daily exercise that we all practice. Something as simple as telling someone how awesome they are and how they make our day better just by seeing them. It's as simple as saying thank you for being the person they are and for being a part of your story. I'm really not one for new year resolutions because I think they are a little cliche, so I would offer up that this year, we make a Thanksgiving resolution. I'll get the ball rolling.
BE THANKFUL FOR FAMILY
In my line of work, I am often gone from home in the evenings supervising games, concerts, or other student activities. I also have my fair share of meetings that I get to attend. All of these activities pull me away from my own family and I sometimes miss out on opportunities to just be with them and enjoy their company. Fortunately for me, I have a very supportive family, but I don't thank them nearly enough for supporting me and my career even though it pulls me away from spending time with them. I'm going to be more intentional about telling them how much I am grateful for them that they put up with my moods and idiosyncrasies and love me for the person that I am.
BE THANKFUL FOR COLLEAGUES
This year, I am going to be more thankful for the people that I get to work with on a daily basis. I'm going to make an intentional effort to tell people what I appreciate about them and make sure they know that I couldn't do my job without them. I'm going to look them in the eye and tell them that they make a different in my story and that I am thankful for the part they play. They might shy away from the compliment or deflect it, but I am going to repeat it so they know that they matter to me and I am thankful for them.
BE THANKFUL FOR THANKS SAKE
The grass isn't always greener on the other side of the fence. I have experienced this a great deal in my life and the many different places that I have worked. At the end of the day, the common denominator is me and what I bring to each situation. I have a choice to wallow in negativity or bemoan about how things would be different elsewhere, but in all reality, this is a farce. I can choose to be a thermostat or a thermometer and I am going to be the former so I can have a say in how the mood is going to be. I am going to be thankful for thanks sake and assume positive intentions. I am going to be thankful for having an overabundance of people in my life who care about me. I am going to be thankful that I get to work in the most honorable profession on the face of the earth in spite of the pitfalls that come with it. I am going to be thankful because I choose to be thankful.
Ultimately, I am probably going to fall short on some of these resolutions, but it won't be for a lack of trying. Simply putting them down in writing is a major step because it will be a constant reminder that will hold me accountable. I resolve to make progress this year on these fronts and will do so even when it is difficult. After all, if it was easy, everyone would be able to do it. The challenge now is follow-through and that will make all the difference.
#OwnYourEpic #Connect
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