Tag: Thanksday

I am thankful for God. In some ways, I am ashamed that it has taken me this long to write this post. In other ways, I know how slowly I have tried to approach stigmatized subjects. After all, I do not refer to God specifically within the view of a single religion because I identify […]

I am thankful for gentlemen. Since this idea feels old-fashioned by now, I will freshen it up a bit by referring to it as gentlepeople for the rest of this post. The noble traits of a gentleperson can be found in anyone, so that is why I am modernizing the modification. Again, anyone can be […]

I am thankful for productive and pioneering pacifists. I taught this word (pacifism) to a new friend recently; I was surprised to hear that they were not already familiar with the term and concept. That moment serves as a reminder that there is still plenty of teaching and learning opportunities to be shared. It is […]

I am thankful for The Celestine Prophecy. It is a novel by James Redfield. While technically a work of fiction, I think it has many universal truths and takeaways embedded within it. Introduced as insights throughout the story, the best way to advance and evolve is gradually outlined and explored step-by-step. Some of the insights […]

I am thankful for omnism. My partner introduced me to this belief, and it became quickly apparent how strongly it resonated with me. I have struggled with the concept of any one mainstream religion being the one and only infallible truth for far too long. Why is only one group right? That idea does not […]

Today, I am thankful for Star Wars for many reasons. I enjoy most of the movies a lot, and a number of the spin-off TV series have been enjoyable as well. I had various Star Wars toys growing up, and I can remember spending hours in my bedroom playing with different action figure sets like […]

I am thankful for the Gnostics. They were an early group of Christians before the more widely-known and prominent branches or sects rooted them out and hunted them down. I have faith in many lessons within the Bible. Do you really think it is the only holy book, though? No. It was carefully curated by […]

I am thankful for Roald Dahl’s creative writings. His imagination and storytelling exceed many expectations. Despite countless difficulties in his life, he still embraced a childlike ideal for best actions and behaviors. What is a common denominator among a lot of his main characters? Gentleness. Charlie. Matilda. Sophie. Life’s challenges and difficulties did not break […]

I am thankful for the traditional healers that exist across so many societies in the world, people like mystics, oracles, seers, and shamans. While watching an informational video earlier this week, my interest was piqued when I heard the mention of a healer’s amount of joy being related to their effectiveness of practice. A healer […]

I am thankful for great therapists, both licensed professionals and unofficial stand-ins. You could even be your own therapist at times if you can step back and objectively assess your situation from a neutral standpoint. It is not easy, but it can be a useful and valuable skill to hone since therapists and friends will […]

I am thankful for the Stoics (like Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius, and Seneca). They sought and explored the dreams and ideals of personal freedom in great detail. Many think of them as boring and emotionless people incapable of expressing themselves well. However, that concept is quite false. Stoics do not ignore or suppress their emotions. They […]

I am thankful for Gabor Maté. He generously shares his history and knowledge with us. As a teacher-turned-doctor, we can learn a lot from his examples and studies. In addition, his childhood was riddled with traumas and upheavals that molded and shaped the man he is today. Gabor’s generosity highlights true, authentic honesty. Insights instruct […]

While the approach to Thanksday for this cycle is odder, please do not be grumpy with my dopiness. I am thankful for Snow White and the idea that she represents. While the four main virtues that are taught to her by her father are fearless, fair, brave, and true, I think kindness is something that […]

Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom. -Thomas Jefferson I am very thankful for Honest Abe. Abraham Lincoln was a simple and self-educated man from the midwest. He demonstrated an ideal and true potential of human development when you apply yourself positively and productively. His level of self-awareness and pursuit of the […]

Does your life spark joy? Can you see the beauty in all of the little things around you? I am very thankful for Marie Kondo. She has seen the beauty in organized and purposeful placements for the majority of her life. She also recognizes how her sense of beauty has changed over the years. Beauty […]

Authenticity does not always demand verbosity. I am thankful for yet another Stoic philosopher, Paconius Agrippinus. As I understand it, he was a man who excelled at metaphorically marching to the beat of his own drum. It did not matter if others around him were moving to a different tune. He knew what mattered most […]

I am thankful for many of the monks out there in the world; they prove that it is possible to put aside the desire for material and physical gains and possessions. They can devote and dedicate their life and their work to a higher purpose, defining and finding a sense of self-worth that transcends earthly […]

I am thankful for the rap god among many mere mortals. Whether a mockingbird or the monster, Eminem has established himself as a confident mainstay within the realm of rap music. To gauge your own confidence, I sugjest asking yourself, “if you had one shot or one opportunity, to seize everything you ever wanted, one […]

I wish I could share a day with Carl Jung. Even though we sadly do not have any days of life overlapping, very few people make me feel as seen or heard as this man does. To be as brilliant and accepted as he was in the scientific world, paving the way for modern psychology, […]

I can easily temper the complexity of this post because you can find plenty of information about this famous figure elsewhere. With that said, whenever I consider temperance, Marcus Aurelius often jumps to mind. Hand-selected to assume one of the most powerful positions on the planet at his time, he sets a golden standard for us […]

On a recent plane ride home, the in-seat entertainment screens were acting up some intermittently. I was patient with the staff as they reset systems multiple times, trying to fix the root cause. Regardless, for some odd and unexplained reason, I could not watch certain options that were contained within their current cinematic catalogue. Interestingly […]

I am thankful for the respectable resilience of indigenous communities and cultures across the world. Imperialistic colonization caused more problems than solutions in my opinion. As a global society, I think those warmongering ways set us further back instead of aiding in advancements and ascensions. Therefore, I am extremely grateful for the fact that many […]

This Thanksday, I want to recognize my thankfulness for all of the truly authentic and real people out there in the world. It is easy for us to get swept away in the latest look or trend that we feel compelled to adhere to. It is frequently comfortable to blend in, but does that make […]

I am very thankful for all of the mindfulness and meditation practitioners and teachers out there in the world. Like I mentioned recently, I listen to the Calm app a lot. Jay Shetty is one of my favorites, but I still enjoy listening along to the others on occasion as well. They have all taught […]

With harmony in mind, I want to express a general thankfulness for all music. I have yet to discover a style of it that I cannot appreciate on at least some level. While all music may not resonate on the same plane or in a similar fashion, it is a pure form of creation. We […]

I am extremely thankful for all of the teachers out there. At the end of the day, this thankfulness can probably encompass all of us. Does anyone go through life without teaching, either yourself or others, and either directly or indirectly? Learning from your own mistakes; listening to others; all moments of teaching. The beauty […]

It can be difficult to accept life sometimes. On occasion, the challenges we face can feel insurmountable. I am thankful for Michael J. Fox. He has lived with Parkinson’s disease for over three decades; at this point, he has lived with it longer than his years prior without it. He did not accept the diagnosis […]

This Thanksday, I choose to recognize Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi. As a shorter nickname, she is often referred to simply as Amma, or “mother.” Amma is known as the hugging saint; she has spent decades of her life hugging millions of humans. She chooses to freely and willingly share her gift with the world. Her […]

I choose to diffuse the topic for Thanksday this cycle. After all, gratitude is all about being thankful for everything that you do have, so I will steep that idea for a greater degree of flexibilitea this time. I am thankful for tea. It is an easy pleasure that I can look forward to enjoying […]

I am thankful for they/them pronouns. To be fully truthful with y’all, I initially balked at the idea of the singular they when I first encountered this new concept. It was different and foreign from what I grew up with and was used to or familiar and comfortable with. However, once I accepted that initial […]

I am thankful for Queen Lear. Truthfully, it is Lear deBessonet who I am thankful for, but I did not want to pass up on that playful possibility. First, I believe, early on in her life, Lear predicted and persistently pursued her passion as a theater director. That is a wonderful truth in and of […]

I am very thankful for Mayo Clinic. If given the choice between researching a topic via Mayo or WebMD, I hope we will always trust the more credible resource. That is Mayo, in case it needs to be said for anyone. After all, you should “be careful about reading health books. You may die of […]

How many years ago did we assign seats for adults in America? Fewer than a hundred. Even now in some places across the world, we essentially still observe this practice. In my opinion, I think it is absurd and outdated; I think it never deserved a place in society. Why should skin complexion enter the […]

Today, I am very thankful for curiosity and someone who spends much of their life being extremely curious about… curiosity! Todd Kashdan, thank you for passionately and professionally researching curiosity. I found it very amusing that, during the week prior to this cycle starting, as I began to plan this next theme out, I heard […]

Thank you, Jack from La Crosse. This past Saturday, I enjoyed the beautiful, clear, sunny, and warm afternoon by going out and throwing a round of eighteen at my local disc golf course. I suppose I should quickly mention that I am also extremely grateful for the sport of disc golf. I honestly think it […]

When I think about bridges and who or what I am thankful for, I think it would be a little too “on the nose” to express gratitude for a famous architect. It would also be difficult to pick from among the many great bridge-builders. Instead, I choose to be metaphorical. :) I am thankful for […]

For this next ThankSday, I ThinkS I need to honor a person who, IMHO, is a SainT of modern pop – TSwift, Taylor Swift. Thank you for all that you do, and thanks for being (mostly) unapologetically you. I used to feel weird about identifying as one for far too long, but, at the end […]

Now that we have the silly circus/parody post over and done with from two weeks ago, please allow me to introduce the current and possibly-permanent plan for Thursdays:   Thankful Thursdays – Thanksday THis first official one, THough, will be THanksday. ;) I am thankful for Tom Hanks <3 To me, it sounds like he connects […]