The Art of Being Thankful!!

By Karen Leonard

The "Art of Being Thankful" can mean a lot of things to many people, a lot of “different” things. As Thanksgiving Day draws near, many focus on the “material” side or food side of this day. I have been guilty of that myself plenty of times.

What does it mean to be “Thankful,” and how does a person really show it? I’m quite sure there are millions of ways and ideas around the world that would fit onto the list, but here are a few that I think are important.

1) Being “Thankful” is an art, one that is acquired over time. And wrought with ups and downs, failures and successes. If we always succeeded the first time we tried something, we would not realize what it means to be challenged, nor would we appreciate the success. We also would not learn that everyone makes mistakes and mistakes are a part of learning. What we do after the mistake will have an impact on the outcome. The only true “failure” is when you try for something, things get difficult, and you fall, trip, lose your way…and give up. That’s failure. Not getting back up and looking at the task you were attempting, taking what you learned from the lack of success, and trying again is key to personal growth, wisdom learned, and a sense of being thankful for what you have achieved.

2) Consciously choosing to be “Thankful” is a choice, yes, a choice. A way of living and thinking because life is not easy, and there are always ups and downs waiting for us. Making a conscious choice that you are going to be thankful no matter the outcome will open your eyes to a whole new way of life. Little things will become more important, and yet you will learn which little things to disregard. “Don’t sweat the small stuff,” is the saying by some unknown author but probably one who had been through a rollercoaster of good days and bad enough to know that some of that small stuff just does not matter. The Art of Being Thankful hinges on knowing which small stuff is important and which is clutter that will distract you from your goal.

3) Giving “Thanks” can be as simple as saying the words “Thank you” to someone who did you a favor when they otherwise had no obligation to do so. Accepting that graciousness with a sense of gratitude, being humble enough to realize it was a gift, and learning how to “pay it forward” are also gifts. To yourself and the recipient. Giving thanks and knowing it could have gone completely differently keeps you connected with those around you, your family, and your friends who love you and you love. It also opens your eyes up to all the possibilities that are out there, silently waiting for someone to notice. Finding these opportunities because you were thankful and not expecting things to always work your way can impact you for the rest of your days.

4) Living “Thankful” is a dedication to the art of being grateful for what you do have and not focusing on what you don’t have, and it can be trying at times. Especially when several things, obstacles, or challenges come at you one after another or all together, it’s hard to remember to be thankful when you feel like everything is against you and karma has a personal vendetta with your name on it. Life is crazy, messy, hard, and sometimes just too much to bear. But that struggle and effort you put into each moment, each step you take, even if it’s simply stepping back up to the line again, is strength! Strength comes from being able to recognize how much you have to be thankful for and how it could have turned out so much differently.

5) Sharing with others the gifts received by being a “Thankful” person are some of the most rewarding pleasures a human being can experience. For you and whomever you choose to share it with, it is a gift. An action of true beauty of the possibilities we as humans possess naturally but sometimes get so caught up in the day-to-day, minute-to-minute hustle of living that we forget how incredibly thankful we should be and how much is out there to still grasp if we choose to keep our eyes and hearts, minds too, open and look for the good instead of the bad.

I am a writer, a simple yet honest writer, and while I don’t have a certificate or degree

on my wall that shows that I have studied all of this, I have lived it…personally. The good, bad, and otherwise, and every day, not just on Thanksgiving Day, I choose to practice “The Art of Being Thankful” because every single day brings millions of reasons to be thankful, and that’s a beautiful and wonderful thing!

Happy Thanksgiving to all, and go ahead and have some turkey! After all, being thankful is hard work, and you have to keep your energy up to go and search for more reasons and ways to be thankful!!