I learned a lot about being thankful back in the day with Werner Erhard. Acknowledging how great my life already is instead of waiting for it to turn out has given me many happy, satisfied years. Like many of you, I have been getting a lot of bad financial news lately. Fortunately, I still have much to be grateful for.
Thanksgiving is a nice tradition because it provides us with a ritual, a turn at the table where we can share the things we are thankful for.
My top 10 list:
1. being born: my parents for their genes, their shelter and the preparation for life they gave me
2. excellent health, vitality: a body that kindly responds to my efforts to stay in shape
3. food: access to nutritious, healthy food and lots of water
4. husband, Ray: thoughtful, handsome, smart, fun, partner in all endeavors
5. friends: off-line and on-line
6. internet: I’m addicted
7. moments in Kauai: this is a very special place
8. mixing: interesting gatherings, anywhere
9. my current projects: stimulating
10.my past experience: privilege and a pleasure, no regrets
Please share what you are thankful for and feel free to provide a link to your blog post on the subject.
Here are some select Thanksgiving posts (updated):
Preparation:
EmpowHer.com Healthy Thanksgiving
“New York Times” Organize to Innovate – The CEO of Thanksgiving
Humor:
“Guanabee” Thanksgiving with Relatives
“Wired” 20 Turkeys of 2008
Thankfulness:
Guy Kawasaki 10 Tiny Apps for Macintosh Users
Mashable on Tweetsgiving Fundraiser
Jerusha Stewart – Say Thank You
Valeria Maltoni “Conversation Agent” Thank Your Customers
Todd Jordan – Thankful
History:
Los Angeles Times History of Thanksgiving
12 responses so far ↓
1 Todd Jordan // Nov 27, 2008 at 5:58 am
Wonderful list. I need to get cracking on mine.
Life holds so many blessings we miss our appreciating because we are so busy being grumpy.
2 Vanessa // Nov 27, 2008 at 9:00 am
What a great list! Happy Thanksgiving!
3 Jerusha // Nov 27, 2008 at 3:14 pm
“Mahalo Nui Loa” (Hawaiian for Thank You Very Much) for including me in your thoughts and your blog on this special day! I’m thankful for your generosity of spirit in sharing my views with your online friends.
We all have so much more to be thankful for than we probably realize. I’m grateful for this day which reminds us all to have an attitude of gratitude!
4 isabella mori // Nov 27, 2008 at 6:51 pm
hi linda! long time no comment
i am grateful for peace. here is my post:
http://www.moritherapy.org/article/thanksgiving-peace-metta/
5 Valeria Maltoni // Nov 27, 2008 at 6:52 pm
Thank you for the shout, Linda. I like the vitality of your list. I am grateful for people like you who are addicted to the Internet – we would have probably not met otherwise.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your readers.
6 kent // Nov 27, 2008 at 10:26 pm
Sounds good, Happy Thanksgiving!
7 LindaSherman // Nov 28, 2008 at 7:09 pm
Todd, Vanessa, Jerusha, Isabella, Valeria, Kent
I am thankful for your friendship!
8 Ellen Weber // Dec 2, 2008 at 6:02 pm
Linda, what a refreshing way to reboot the human brain to ensure it goes forward with zip. Interestingly, the brain’s capacity for thanks and that for complaining – cannot co-exist. Far better to choose the neuron pathways to thanks as you do so well:-) Thanks for inspiring the rest of us!
9 Marti // Dec 2, 2008 at 8:21 pm
Sorry I’m so late. It was delightful chatting with you at Liz’ tonight. I love your point about acknowledging the good things we have in our life. It was great to read your list and those in the comments. I am so grateful for the internet, because it lets me meet such amazing people – like you!
10 LindaSherman // Dec 3, 2008 at 9:39 am
@Ellen I love your “brain talk”. Way back when I was doing my undergrad degree in Psychology, the study of how the brain works was very murky but also my favorite subject. Thank you for the reminder that our own choices are very powerful.
@Marti You’re not late at all. Acknowledgment must be continuously renewed.
It was indeed a particularly wonderful “Tuesday Open Comment Night” at http://www.successful-blog.com for me. I am grateful to Liz Strauss for providing the stimulation and the space to meet both of you.
11 Wendy Cholbi // Dec 3, 2008 at 11:28 am
Hi Linda, I’m glad I discovered your blog via Liz’s Tuesday Open Comment Night. Here’s a link to my Thanksgiving post:
http://www.yourwebcoaches.com/2008/11/giving-thanks/
I love that you have no regrets. Such an empowered place to be!
12 LindaSherman // Dec 3, 2008 at 12:17 pm
@Wendy Thank you so much for including your Thanksgiving post here. I love the way you used the occasion to compare where you were Thanksgiving 2007 to today.
Ellen Weber kindly sent me a nice link through Twitter that explains through brain physiology why we don’t easily retain good intentions
http://www.shrm.org/hrmagazine/articles/0308/0308fox.asp
Backsliding is easy – that is why regular reminders to self are helpful to anyone, including me.
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