Thanksgiving: The Gift of Giving and Receiving

Yesterday I thought about all the things I’m grateful in my life in preparation for today being Thanksgiving. I don’t know about you, but I do this on a daily basis in my journal. It’s something that keeps me grounded and focused on what’s good in my life.

Giving thanks relies on your ability to give and receive and acknowledge what others have contributed to your life as well as what you have created for yourself and how you contribute to others.

Your ability to give is the reflection, acknowledgment and appreciation of what you have received.

There are many ways you can give love by giving thanks:
* You can teach what you’ve learned
* You can give your time
* You can give your attention
* You can give your ideas
* You can give your money to a cause you believe in

When I look at the totality of my life, I’ve had a pretty great life that I’m very grateful for. At the same time, nobody’s life is a straight line to the top.  There are times when you hit bottom and there are times when you really depend on the support of your friends who love you.

I’m no history teacher, but I can tell you that all those years ago when the pilgrims came to this country, it was no day at the beach. They had a lot to deal with just to stay alive and make a new home for themselves.

And yet at that one point in time they came together to give thanks. And when I look at the struggles many people are going through right now, I know that no matter what your personal situation we can all find things we are grateful for today.

Personally, I’ve been married and divorced a couple times. I’ve had lots of money and I’ve been close to broke a few times. I’ve also had a couple brushes with life threatening illness. And yet whether happy times or times of struggle, neither defines us. Those are all circumstances that pass by and in the end it doesn’t make any difference the label we put on them. The only thing that matters is being grateful for the lessons they bring us.

I have so many things I’m grateful for that may not have showed up if not for those difficult situations. For one thing, I developed much deeper relationships with my friends and found some new friends. I’ve allowed myself to be much more open and honest and vulnerable in my life and I’m very grateful for the wonderful gifts I’ve experienced because I’ve opened my heart in that way.

Over the years, especially since writing, “Change One Thing, Change Your Life”, I’ve discovered that most people either have a difficult time with giving or receiving.

Today, take a look at which is easier for you to do.  If you can give all day long but find it difficult to allow someone to do something for you, give that pleasure to someone who loves you today and let them experience how wonderful it feels to give.

If you’re one of those people who is good about receiving, but maybe you’ve convinced yourself you don’t have anything worth giving, just try giving a little bit to someone you love today and see what happens.  How about saying something nice and watching how that makes the other person light up.  That’s your gift.

This is a day for stepping out of your normal comfort zone and really experiencing what Thanksgiving is all about.  I promise you’ll feel better at the end of the day for doing it.

Until next week, I’d love to hear your thoughts.  Just comment on this post on my blog at http://www.LynnPierce.com

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Lynn Pierce, the Success Architect, has taught people how to combine business and personal development to reach the pinnacle of success and live the life of their dreams for almost 30 years. In addition, she is also the founder of one of the most exciting annual events for women entrepreneurs, “Empowered Women’s Business  Summit“. Now she shares her keys to success and life mastery with you. You can get her special report, “What Do You Stand For? A No B.S. Guide to Creating Your Own Personal Manifesto” at http://LynnPierce.com