Think Thankful Second Thoughts

"When you rise in the morning, give thanks for the light, for your life, for your strength. Give thanks for your food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason to give thanks, the fault lies in yourself." ~ Tecumseh

What were your first thoughts this morning? What immediately came to mind when your feet hit the floor? By the way, "where's the coffee" doesn't count as a legitimate first thought. Our first thoughts hold a big clue to what we deem to be the most important or pressing issues of our lives. So, the question is, do we think more about what we have or what we don't have? If like so many people, your first thought is about money, then I'm fairly confident it is in relation to its scarcity rather than its abundance -- correct? In today's uncertain times, this is somewhat understandable and again, predictable.

Then, what about our second thought? After the mental calculation on the state of today's solvency, we may be tempted to dwell on what we don't have, what we might have missed, or if we're totally honest, what went to someone else -- who by the way really isn't as deserving as we are. Don't look so shocked -- the word is out so let's deal with it. The truth is, we all have wants, dreams, desires, and yes -- legitimate needs. These thoughts drive us and provide motivation for getting up and going to work. Not a bad thing.

But to seek only what we want, with no regard for the many blessings we have already received, is selfish and dare I say, childish behavior. More specifically, we may be committing malpractice against our own incredible mind. Now I won't go into the power of our subconscious thoughts and how they guide and direct us. That's the subject of another talk. But, I hope we can agree that our thoughts determine our actions. Selfish thoughts -- selfish actions. Thankful thoughts -- thankful actions.

Obviously, the celebration of Thanksgiving Day is not meant to be a once-a-year-hurry-up-and-say-something-nice-about-our-cozy-life-event. Rather it is a mile marker and a time of reflection to truly celebrate what we should be practicing on a year-round basis. The above quote, by Tecumseh, speaks of the most basic elements that we often take for granted but that would be sorely and immediately missed if they were withdrawn. No light. No strength. No food. Wouldn't take long for our joy cup to be emptied.

So tomorrow, and every day thereafter, let's let our second thought be one of true and heart-felt thanksgiving for what we have, who we have, and the time that we have them.

But, you may be saying to yourself: "Shouldn't this be my first thought each day?" The answer is yes. As a matter of fact, it should be the goal -- thankful thoughts first. However, since meaningful change comes over time, let's work on getting it up to the second position and go from there.

Have a Very Happy and Safe and Thoughtful Thanksgiving!