Today is Thanksgiving Day in the United States.

It is a day to spend with family and friends,
a day when we pause to take stock
of our blessings, to remember and give thanks.
Giving thanks, and expressing gratitude are very
important, and it is appropriate that we set aside an
entire day to focus on them. True abundance
begins with gratitude and thankfulness.
Being thankful focuses our attention on the things
we do have, and helps those things to grow.

What if you gave someone a gift, and they neglected to
thank you for it -- would you be likely to give them
another? Life is the same way. In order to attract more
of the blessings that life has to offer, you must truly
appreciate what you already have.

Look at the things that are right with your life.
Be grateful for what you have.
Nurture the good things in your life.
Appreciate them, and they will grow.
Your life will become more abundant,
the more you focus on abundance.

And spread it around. Express your gratitude with a
"thank you" or an act of kindness toward another
person. You'll find that your life grows more abundant,
the more you share it with others.

Today is a day to give thanks.
And so is every other day.
Make gratitude and abundance
a continuing part of your life.

Whatever things may come your way today,
make it a point to let your first response a peaceful one.
There is power in peaceful calmness,
the power to follow your own plans and purposes.
That gets lost when you react out of anger.

It takes determined intention and effort
to respond peacefully.
The power and control it gives you
are well worth the effort.

Certainly you want to look out for your own interests.
Yet just because you are firmly determined
is no reason to be angry and out of control.
The greatest power is almost always
in a peaceful, measured response.

Do you really want to let someone else
dictate your level of stress and anxiety?
Do you really want to let others
control your own actions?

Respond calmly and peacefully.
Maintain your composure.
Maintain your control.
Let your first response be peaceful,
and you'll make it much more effective.

We often feel that we don't have the time or energy to
extend ourselves to others with the small gestures that
compose what we call common courtesy. It sometimes
seems that this kind of social awareness belongs to the
past, to smaller towns and slower times. Yet, when
someone extends this kind of courtesy to us, we always
feel touched. Someone who lends a helping hand when
we are struggling with our groceries makes an impression
because many people just walk right by. Even someone
who simply makes the effort to look us in the eye, smile,
and greet us properly when entering a room stands out
of the crowd. It seems these people carry with them the
elegance and grace of another time, and we are always
thankful for our contact with them. Common courtesy
is a small gesture that makes a big difference.

An essential component of common courtesy is awareness
and common sense; looking outside yourself to see when
someone needs help or acknowledgment. As a courteous
person, you are aware that you are walking into a room full
of people or that your waiter has arrived to take your order.
Then, awareness leads to action. It is usually quite clear
what needs to be done-open the door for the woman
holding the baby, move your car up two feet so another
person can park behind you, acknowledge your sister's
shy boyfriend with a smile and some conversation,
apologize if you bump into someone. A third component
is to give courtesy freely, without expecting anything in
return. People may not even take notice, much less
return the kindness, but you can take heart in the
fact that you are creating the kind of world
you want to live in with your actions.

When you are out in the world, remember to be aware
of others, lend your hand when one is needed,
and give this help without an ulterior motive.

Through these small actions,
you make this world a better place in which to live.