It’s Thanksgiving week in the United States, a chance to step off the treadmill and take some much-needed time with family and friends. Many of us are having our first in-person Thanksgiving since 2019, which makes it all the more special and significant. With that in mind, I wanted to share five stories that really capture the meaning of Thanksgiving, family and gratitude.

• What Really Matters (#47): On January 15, 2009, Sully Sullenberger miraculously landed a plane in the Hudson River, saving over 150 passengers. One of those passengers was Red Ventures founder Ric Elias, who shared how the experience changed his life.
• Conscious Inaction (#151): Several years ago, REI did something unprecedented in modern retail—they closed their doors on Black Friday and gave their employees a chance to fully enjoy their Thanksgiving holiday. This is an important reminder that what we choose not to do can be just as important as what we do.
• Spending Time (#204): The holidays are a time where we often stress over the perfect gift to get our loved ones. Often, however, what the people in our lives want most is our attention. This is a reminder to set aside time to spend with the people who matter most during the holidays.
• Simple Gestures (#256): One Christmas Eve, consultant and keynote speaker Ryan Estis had a chance encounter with a barista in an airport coffee shop. He swears he’ll never forget the experience—and the story offers a key lesson for daily life.

 


• Perfect Moments (#268): While this post was not written during Thanksgiving week, the story of how Eugene O’Kelly chose to spend his final months after a terminal cancer diagnosis provides a blueprint for how we can create perfect moments with the people closest to us.

 
I hope you have and take the opportunity to spend time with the people who matter most as we approach the end of 2021.