It’s Thanksgiving week. No greater time to be thankful and count our blessings. If you read and/or subscribe to my weekly blog and newsletter, I want to sincerely thank YOU. I can truly say in all humility that I hope I never know the impact my words might have on others and that I would never base my success on the number of people who subscribe, like, or share. My only goal is to serve.
So, if you follow me or read my posts at all, you know how much I love quotes. In fact, I recorded a video on my YouTube channel a couple of weeks ago where I tell you how and why I believe motivational quotes will change your life. You can watch it here. Last week, I came across a quote I have never read before that rocked my world and I couldn’t wait to share it with you this week.
“Thankfulness is the beginning of gratitude. Gratitude is the completion of thankfulness. Thankfulness may consist merely of words. Gratitude is shown in acts.”
- Henri Frederic Amiel
This week, whether you are able to gather with family and friends as usual, or this is one in the line of many activities that have been upended by the pandemic, we still all get to take the one day in the year to express thanks for our blessings. Of course, I believe what we set aside one day for should become a “Habitutde of Gratitude” as my friend Tom Ziglar calls it, that we practice each and every day.
Back to the quote above, I want to draw your attention to a couple of takeaways that resonated with me when I read it. First, Thanksgiving, or thankfulness, if you will, is the onramp to experiencing gratitude. As you thank God for your blessings this Thursday, I encourage you to not let this day go by as merely just another day. Use it to let it lead you to reflect on, and I would suggest even further, write down all of the things in your life you have to be grateful for.
If you give yourself enough time and look deeply enough, I can assure you that you will find many things to be grateful for, no matter the number of difficulties that you and your loved ones have had to endure this year. In fact, a Gratitude Journal, once you begin to compile one is one of the most powerful things you can do for yourself to grow in your personal development. I cannot recommend it highly enough.
Also, I would call your attention to the end of the quote where we are challenged that gratitude is shown in acts. In other words, are you content to just say the right thing, or are you committed to being and making a difference in the world? If gratitude is a matter of focus for you, I suggest that acts of service, kindness, and compassion cannot help but flow out from you.
If the world was filled, one person at a time, with acts of gratitude, how much better and more promising would our and your future look? I cannot imagine but I can’t encourage and challenge you enough to try to find out. Then we can lead more people to be thankful, which in turn will point them towards gratitude at the same time. Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving that is gifted with gratitude. Not just Thanksgiving Day, but every day.
Did you enjoy this article? If you haven’t already, please be sure to subscribe to this blog, where I post every Tuesday. You can also get additional free content by subscribing to my YouTube channel or following me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn.
I also invite you to review my coaching page on my website here. I have only a couple of spots left in my Personal Development Coaching Practice. Each week I offer two free strategy sessions on a first-come, first-served basis to people interested in exploring how to become a person who pursues their goals and dreams. These special hour-long sessions prove again and again to be invaluable to those who participate. You can book these directly on my coaching page – I look forward to serving you.