I’m thankful for….

This beginning of a sentence will become ubiquitous over the next week. It will be orally proclaimed at dinner tables and scrawled across Facebook posts in cyberspace.That’s all fine, but I challenge each of you to really examine how you define the word “thankful.” For me, it’s about being grateful for those very important things in life that you often have little to no control over. The 3 categories I highlight this week are relationships, health, and where you live.

I’m thankful for my lovely, talented, and highly patient wife, Barb. When it comes to this most important relationships, I hit the jackpot. Our beautiful daughters Mindy and Kelli have grown into wonderful people and I’m fortunate that I also call them my “friends.” My extended family (which is out of my control) is simply awesome. I’m thankful for each of them. I’m fortunate for the relationships I have with my friends, including Rotary, clients, colleagues, and those people from my youth that remain friends even through years of not seeing each other. I’m very blessed.

I’m thankful for my good health. While I can control a lot that goes into the definition of health, there is much I can’t. I’ve seen friends and family stricken with health issues they had no control of, and I’ve been lucky to avoid those calamities.

Finally, I had no control of where I was born and where I would grow up. Being born in the United States afforded me opportunities (like starting my own consulting practice) without fear of oppression. It allowed me the chance for a great education, food on my plate, a roof over my head, and possessions that for most of the world are unattainable and unbelievable. So many on this planet have no food, no clean water, no shelter, and deal with political strife and war. Again, I count my blessing because there but for the grace of God go I.

If you’re reading this message (and I sincerely thank you for that) then my guess is you’ve got much to be thankful for, too. Take some thoughtful time this week to not only define what “thankful” is to you, but to whom you owe that thanks to…and then tell them.

On behalf of my family, we wish you a warm and wonderful Thanksgiving full of daily,  friends, and food (and maybe a little or a lot of football!).

Happy Thanksgiving.

Quote of the Week:
“A leader is a dealer in hope.”
~ Napoleon Bonaparte

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