What Are You Thankful For This Thanksgiving?

So what are you thankful for? What makes your life worth living?  For many of us, we find Thanksgiving is the perfect time to give thanks for all the people in our lives. For many, the past year has been challenging as we try to get used to the new normal. It’s funny, but the new normal seems a lot like the old normal.

We are more connected than ever before. For me, the last year has produced many new friendships and several new business partners in my life. Because of technology, I can reach around the world to talk with friends and colleagues whenever I like.  It has allowed me to be involved with them through challenges and triumphs, joys, and tears. I’m thankful for my friends and partners.

This year I’ve reached out to thank my mentors and former teachers. It was a long journey to find these critical people, but it provided me an incredible opportunity to reconnect and honor the people in my past. I’m thankful for all the people who took time to teach me the life lessons that have helped me become who I am today.

I returned to school to get training to help my clients more effectively create their own succession plans as they begin moving on with their lives. It’s the first time in the last five years where I sat in a classroom for a week straight to better understand what I don’t understand. My classmates and faculty were some of the smartest people I’ve ever worked with in my life. Their ideas and strategies will help me help my clients succeed in the coming years. For the first time since 2001 I was given a test that was designed to make me think about how to take my corporate background and apply it to mid-market business owners. It reminded me that no matter how much you know you can never know everything about business. I’m thankful for the people who keep challenging my thinking and forcing me to grow bigger.

On the professional front, I’ve returned to working in the Columbus office several weeks per month. This new office provides me a great place to work and keep me from going crazy by living in Smallville!  Though I love living on the lake, it’s nice to be in a city again. I’m thankful for the people who make my time in Columbus and Cleveland possible. From my off-site hideaway at the Columbus Zoo to clients who have been generous with their time and office space. I’m thankful for my time with you.

This year, I wrote over 150 blogs, three training manuals and several presentations that will keep me busy for the next 12 months sharing it with potential clients and partners.  I’m grateful for my editors who keep my writing clear and concise.  Their guidance and coaching keep me on target when I might choose to ramble.  Their work has allowed me to reach over 85,000 readers every month.  I’m thankful for the people who are committed to helping me fulfill my mission in the world.

I’m thankful for my family who make my life worth living. From my wife, who is my biggest cheerleader and confidant, o our puppies who make me feel young again. You cannot imagine the joy I experience when I go running through the parks with my favorite furry family members: Jesse, Sammi, and Gracie.

To the family members who remind me we are not alone no matter how hard we try! They keep us connected to our past and future and sometimes remind us all of who we are and who we might ever be.  I’m thankful for my family members.

Finally, I’m thankful for you, the readers, who read my blogs and share them with family, friends, and co-workers. I’m grateful that you provide me feedback, growth, and an opportunity to share my ideas with you. Without you, my writing would be just another way of passing time. Your feedback and support have provided me with an incredible community to engage with and share with others. Thank you for all your support and love. I’m thankful for you.

Happy Thanksgiving! Have a great time with all your family and friends.  I look forward to getting to know you more in the coming year.