I first posted this during Thanksgiving week two years ago.  It immediately became the most read post I’ve ever written.  So posting an updated version has become an annual tradition… All the best this Thanksgiving!

  • If you slept in a warm bed last night… give thanks.
  • If your sleep was uninterrupted by violence and fear… give thanks.
  • If you were blessed with a good education that stretched your mind and heart… give thanks.
  • If you had a family member or friend who invested time, energy, and money in you…give thanks.
  • If you stand on the shoulders of ancestors and mentors… give thanks.
  • If you have the opportunity to invest your wisdom in a client, a colleague, or a child… give thanks.
  • If you have work… give thanks.
  • If your work is more than a paycheck… give thanks.
  • If you had the opportunity to vote – even if your candidate didn’t win… give thanks.
  • If you will gather with loved ones this week… give thanks.
  • If you have a boss who gives a rip and does what’s right instead of what’s expedient… give thanks.
  • If you have colleagues you can count on… give thanks.
  • If you have employee(s) who goes above and beyond the call… give thanks.
  • If you’ve had an opportunity you didn’t earn (aka grace)… give thanks.
  • If you have a working vehicle… give thanks.
  • If you have use of a computer/smartphone to read this post… give thanks.
  • If you know where your next meal is coming from… give thanks.

Ambition and growth have their uses.  But let’s be thankful that, in a culture obsessed with more, we have set aside a day each year to count our blessings.

My list is long. I’ll bet yours is too.  Why not make this Thanksgiving about more than turkey and bad football? How about sharing your list with someone you know? It just might multiply the thanks.