Keeping the “Thanks” in Thanksgiving

Amid the trivial commotion that comes with the holidays – for example determining the best time to travel to avoid the inevitable traffic or having a back up plan for the gravy in case Uncle Mark pours the turkey drippings down the drain again – it can be easy to lose sight of the foundational purpose of Thanksgiving; gratitude. With this in mind, we share a piece from The New York Times titled “Choose to Be Grateful. It Will Make You Happier.” by Arther C. Brooks. We are drawn to this piece as we feel it serves as a nice reminder of the importance of giving thanks not only on Thanksgiving, but 365 days per year. One of Brooks’ suggestions for practicing gratitude more regularly is to keep a short list of the things you are grateful for and updating it weekly. This exercise, which was explored further in a 2003 study (Think Big!), concluded that those who practice this exercise consistently enjoy significantly greater life satisfaction than others.

Accordingly, various members of the Yeske Buie team drafted short lists of gratitude to help us remember to keep the “Thanks” in Thanksgiving tomorrow and all year long. We hope that you enjoy the lists we have shared below and we encourage you to consider drafting your own list of gratitude, even if it’s just a mental list!

We wish you a peaceful and joy filled Thanksgiving Day celebration!