Many of us might wonder why we are celebrating this holiday. Isn’t this the time when we conquered the Indians and stole their land? It resulted in the demise of their people and not to mention the hundreds of terrible cowboy and India movies produced!

But the truth is that the first Pilgrims who came to America couldn’t survive without help from the Natives, so they perished. When the second wave of Pilgrims sailed to America, the Indians decided to help them and showed them how live off the land.  They taught them how to hunt, what to eat, how to survive the cold, build huts and much more. So today, we give thanks to the Indians and also to the land for providing a feast! And any day filled with eating is a good day for me!

When we are grateful for what we have, no matter how big or small, we are blessed with more. My friends and I email each other every morning with a list of all the things we are grateful for!

It looks something like this…

1. I am grateful for this day.

2. I am grateful for hot showers.

3. I am grateful for the fall season and all its colors.

4. I am grateful I had the best sushi lunch yesterday at Sasebune.

5. I am grateful for naps.

6. I am grateful for accupuncture.

7. I am grateful for my boyfriend and our new home.

8. I am grateful for family support.

9. I am grateful that I was calm and easy going today!

10. I am grateful for not disturbing the neighbors while belting RENT songs in the shower. (I did say the little things count too.)

When you create a list like this each morning and send it to your friends, it starts your day off right and keeps you positive! You focus on what you have versus what you don’t have.  And remember, whatever we focus on grows.

At the same time, being grateful for our challenges and low points is just as important! In order to propel ourself to a higher place, we have to go to a lower places. If you look back, all the difficult moments eventually brought you or will bring you to a better place!

So what are you grateful for today?

Happy Thanksgiving!