This week I thought I'd make the Career Fitness Tip
somehow focus on the Thanksgiving Holiday, maybe looking at that first
celebration that we all learned about in school complete with turkeys,
black-clad pilgrims with the goofy hats, and some generous Indians who
mercifully rescued the early settlers in America with food and shelter.
Interestingly enough, I found all sorts of different, conflicting information
about the holiday depending on which website I went on. According to the
information on the web, the first Thanksgiving took place in 1578, 1607, 1621,
and 1623. I'm guessing if I pried deep enough, I'd find other variations
of the theme, maybe some of them reporting the pilgrims dined on something other
than turkey!
Does that ruin the holiday? Absolutely not!
Since most of the subscribers to my Career Fitness Tips live in the United States, I'm guessing most readers will spend Thursday in a tradition that they've grown up in. Whatever it is, whether you plan to stuff yourself and watch the ghastly Detroit Lions lose (sadly, a tradition) or worse, see the Dallas Cowboys play later in the day (I'm a Redskins fan), be sure to take some time to really celebrate the reason for the holiday - giving thanks!
Now who you thank is up to you. I prefer to thank God for the blessings of the past year, but you thank whomever you choose. The key is to be GRATEFUL. Grateful for what you have. Grateful for what you didn't get. Grateful for the fact you're alive. Grateful for the fact that even though times are tough on a lot of us, we have survived another year. Grateful for the hope the new year will bring. In fact, maybe the best thing for all of us to do is just inventory every good thing that happened this year. Even if it's just ONE thing, that's worth celebrating right?
Too many times I focus on negative things. A crowded flight with annoying passengers, a speaking gig that fell through, a workshop that didn't go as planned, or an evaluation from an attendee that is critical. Maybe I should focus on the fact the crowded flight arrived safely, I had a gig to replace the one I lost, something new I learned from a workshop that went off course, or the 25 other positive evaluations I got from the other attendees. It's a process, but I'll be working on it. Won't you do the same?
Happy Thanksgiving!
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