Can Everyday Be Thanksgiving? Leadership principles that matter to say a proper “thank you.”
Thanksgiving season is here, that special time to pause and give thanks. It’s a chance to show gratitude for the important people and things in our lives. Now I love digging into the history behind holidays, but today, let’s just appreciate that this tradition continues — a unifying celebration across backgrounds.
Unlike other holidays tied to religion or culture, Thanksgiving stands out as more universal. It brings people together beyond boundaries.
I fondly remember my early Thanksgiving celebrations with friends — cheering on the Cowboys game, feasting, and making toasts. It was a tradition that lasted years. But we eventually got bored of bland turkey and all the leftovers. So, we switched to more flavorful dishes like whole chicken and Indian curries and sweets.
Over time, our group and gatherings evolved. Some years were small affairs while others drew big crowds. Drinks sometimes took priority over food. A few times we even braved Black Friday shopping madness together. Now, it might be a quiet family meal or a home-cooked meal for two. Change happens, but one thing stays the same — Thanksgiving serves as a meaningful reminder to express gratitude.
But why does thankfulness fit into a newsletter about continuous learning?
Giving thanks fosters humility. It involves acknowledging external factors — people, luck — that enabled our positives and successes. While God and country are important, Thanksgiving also makes us reflect on family, friends, coworkers, and even unpredictable things like the stock market rallying.
Gratitude also demands specificity. It’s easy to rattle off a generic thank-you message and that’s appreciated. But take a moment to ponder the exact reasons for gratitude. Beyond a blanket “thanks for being here and working” to your team, what specific actions or qualities do you appreciate most? Apply that to individuals in your work and personal life too. If you can’t name one reason, you’re grateful for someone, dig deeper to understand why. And for prized possessions or experiences — what exactly makes them enrich your life? No clear answer means reevaluating their significance.
This kind of meaningful gratitude requires three key leadership skills — awareness of opportunities for thanks, intentional identification of precise appreciation reasons, and effort to communicate gratitude.
These principles apply broadly beyond Thanksgiving. Apply them when discussing incidents, brainstorming ideas, reviewing progress, or planning strategy. The giving thanks mindset serves as practical training opportunity for applying these leadership skills. Make it a daily practice, not just a holiday activity.
Beyond just gathering for a big meal with friends, which is wonderful too, there’s no reason we can’t cultivate gratitude every day. It comes down to intentionally appreciating people and things that deserve thanks. Food and football are just fuel for our bodies and distraction for our minds.
During this season of thankfulness, let’s challenge ourselves. Identify precise reasons you’re grateful for relationships and experiences enriching your life. Then make sure you clearly communicate it to them. Practice the awareness, intention, and effort needed to elevate everyday gratitude. If we adopt this mindset, every day can be Thanksgiving.
Until next time, Cheers,
Amit
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