What is the Meaning of Thanksgiving?

November for many is Thanksgiving month, but it means different things to different people. Traditionally for me, it's a time to focus on your life and to give thanks for it. Let me ask you, do you really ever stop and reflect, or is the month like any other, you're just rushing through it not blinking, not stopping to just inhale.  Are you just focused on making the turkey and prepping for the family to come?  I love Thanksgiving and the entire month of November because it signified many things for me: 

• CHANGE - the leaves are changing on the trees signifying that winter is coming, clocks change, we flip our wardrobes to account for the crazy dips and flips in the weather, especially here in Tennessee.
• HOMECOMING - high schools and colleges have homecoming games where friends of old and new come back to reminisce about their time spent together, families and friends gather around the table (whether large or small) talking about family traditions and fun times.
• REFLECTION - I begin thinking about the things I did and didn't accomplish in the current year and determine what I want to work on in the new year.
• HAPPINESS - having all of the above plus of course the smells of delicious food and the endless sound of laughter...makes me so extremely happy...I just love what this time of year represents.

Now, I know Thanksgiving in the US has historical meaning and I don't want to minimize that, but even taking that into consideration it is a time when I really focus on the harvest in my life.  I thank God for all the blessings He puts in my life during the year (both obvious and not so obvious...both requested and not requested...both wanted and not wanted) and during this time I also begin asking what else should I be doing... 

I tend to have a deeper conversation with myself and with God during the last two months of the year. It's like my annual reboot.  Do you have a time of reflection or reboot in your life?  You don't have to wait until November to do this, but you should make sure you fit it into the year.  

Reflection allows you to readjust the areas of your life that just aren't right.  It allows you to fix mistakes and build on successes.  It keeps you grounded in the important things and limits your focus on the superficial.  

So for me November and Thanksgiving are not about Black Friday or the countdown to Christmas, it's much bigger than that. I'm truly thankful for my unique life and for you the family at The Happiness Bucket.  Have a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving and I pray you begin your reboot process with a smile!