Four Simple Steps to be Truly Thankful

Thanksgiving is more than pie and turkey. It's about helping and loving the family, friends and world around you.

Thanksgiving is not all about football and overeating, even though most of us forget to express it to those we love. After all, the first Thanksgiving was a landmark celebrating the blessings America’s first colonists experienced in their new land. But if the thought of expressing your thanks conjures up visions of sappy speeches and misty eyes, don’t worry. These tips for showing your thankfulness will make it less like pulling teeth and more like pulling apart the wishbone.

1. Family

A lot can happen in a year. Your family may have added some loved ones and lost some at the same time. Perhaps a family member was diagnosed with a disease but has since fought it off. On top of that, you’re all scattered across three states, and once the holidays are over you won’t see each till Easter … maybe. As sappy as it sounds, take the time to raise a glass during dinner – or halftime – and let your family know how important they are to you and how glad you are that you all could get together: The sentiment will strike a chord with everyone. Also, drawing names for the gift exchange or planning the Christmas feast will get everyone excited for another gathering a month down the road.

2. Friends

Do what you always do – throw a party. In college, Chicago residents Heather Schild and Nosheen Hydari combined their urge to throw a dinner party with the opportunity that many of their friends weren’t making the long trek home for Thanksgiving and came up with HANTDE: Heather and Nosheen’s Thanksgiving Day Extravaganza. What started in their dorm room now is an annual tradition.

“HANDTE [is] a time when we are all guaranteed to see each other, we all look forward to it and we all know it will be a sort of reunion every year,” Schild says. “We are all old now and have jobs and don’t get to see each other that much, so HANTDE has become a time to see and be with each other.”

3. Community

You could volunteer at a local soup kitchen or bring unused items from the big day to a food pantry. But if you’re feeling a bit inhibited or are going to be traveling, you could always turn your celebration into a good cause. This year, Schild and Hydari are asking their HANTDE guests to offer a monetary donation, which they will donate to the Greater Chicago Food Depository to help low-income families during the holidays.

4. Self

Take time out from life’s hectic schedule and look back on your recent accomplishments. Quit racing for the next promotion or raise and pat yourself on the back for the ones you just got. Take a look at the debts you paid off, the friends you’ve made or whatever significant personal milestones you may have passed. Buy yourself that blazer you’ve been eyeing, treat yourself to an expensive meal out or plan a trip with some friends. Being able to give thanks for yourself and what you’ve done is the first step to being able to show thankfulness to others.

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