​DISCLAIMER: The following blog post is a PWP Original from the PWP Archives and may not reflect the current vision or activities of Passion With Purpose. 

The coming of Thanksgiving brings with it many things - Traveling to see family and friends, the ending of fall and beginning of the Christmas Season, and plenty of food.

We are also known to take a moment and reflect on what we are thankful for and express our gratitude for the blessings we currently have in life.
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Growing up, I remember making hats for my cousins and I that were either Indian hats or Pilgrim hats. We would run around playing Indians vs. Pilgrims and making forts out of the couch cushions in my Grandmother’s basement.

Causing a ruckus, we would eventually be called upstairs for Thanksgiving dinner. We always began those dinners going around the table saying what we were thankful for.

But sometimes the holidays aren’t so easy. As time moves on, life happens and traditions change or slowly fade as the grandkids get older and become adults. Family dynamics change. And loved ones begin to move further apart.

We each have a different story, a different situation, and different way of celebrating Thanksgiving, but in this simple blog post, I want to just pour some encouragement into your soul.

Whatever it may be. Maybe you may miss some old memories. Maybe this is the first Thanksgiving you are celebrating without a loved one no longer with you. Maybe life is just peachy.

Despite the season of life you are in whether challenging or brightly positive, I want you to take at least five minutes today to just close your eyes and with everything within you visualize at least five things you are incredibly thankful for.

If people come to mind, I want you to text or call them and tell them why you are thankful for them. If they are experiences you’ve had that have forever left an impact on your mind, thank God for those experiences.
We are a product of the life we live and the people around us. Never let the crazies of the holidays or the challenges of life stop you from reflecting on the blessings around you and within you.

One of the most powerful ways to fuel our passion for life is to flood our souls with expressions of gratitude. For when we give thanks and praise - Any fear within us turns into love and any sorrow within us turns into joy. It is the love and joy within us that empowers our passion to burn bright and light up the world around us.

My dear friend, close your eyes and in doing so, let your eyes be opened to all the good things happening in your life. Sometimes we just need to pause and close our eyes to really see what we have. More often than not, the things we are truly grateful for are things not seen, but are things felt in the depths of our being - in the depths of our passion.
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May you and your family have a Blessed and Happy Thanksgiving!

With Passion,

Steve Mezzacappa