Another Way to Show Your “Thanks” To Others
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day in the United States of America. It is a day where Americans look to give thanks for the blessings they have had. In addition, it is a time to show gratitude to those around them who have been of help to them in their life’s journey. Different individuals will express their thanks in different ways, whether it is through cards, gifts to clients, Linked In posts for their businesses and the people that supported them as clients, etc.
Toward the end of October 2025, (yes, I do write the next month’s blogs and newsletters about 1 month before they are published), in front of me was another way to show your thanks for your good fortune. I admittedly am entering a time of life that you start looking around yourself and say, “Boy, have we accumulated a lot of stuff over the years in our years together” (I am speaking about my wife and I here). And, yes some of it is “definitely sentimental” to us and has meaning, whether it is during the time of our marriage together, or family memories before we were wed. However, when one really does a deep dive into what surrounds them, (whether it be in the home office where I work, the basement, other places in the home, or even what one may receive in the US mail), they begin to say, “Am I really going to ever use these items again?” Or in the case of clothes, (where usually in the spring and fall I am moving things from the basement to my closets in the upstairs room and back again), am I truly wearing all these items, or are there ones I have not worn for a long time, and do not foresee wearing again? So, what can one do when faced with such a situation? They can choose to continue to ignore it. They can say it will be someone else’s problem to deal with some day. Or they can consider to start giving some of it away.
During the month of October, I received an email from my local library about a book sale they would be running in November. To help support the sale they asked for donations of books that people had which they no longer wanted. I looked around me in the office where I worked. What did I see. BOOKCASES! BOOKS! Some were ones that I had bought read and enjoyed, and knew I would not read again. Others were books that had been part of my early coaching years on how to grow your own business. They were sitting in the bookshelves in my office gathering dust. I did not even realize some of them I had. My wife also had books in the office that she no longer knew she would read. It did not mean we would be destitute of things to read. There were still ones we had not read, and reminded us that we might want to look at them as we go forward. We know other reading material will continue to make its way into our lives. We began to pack books in boxes to donate to the Fair.
The same thing was true for clothes. This autumn, when I made the change of bring my fall and winter wear to my closet, and my spring and summer wear to my basement, I gave it all a good look. What had I not truly worn in a LONG TIME? That went into a bag for the collection bin at my church. While books and clothes are two examples of things one can give away, one can give away some of their time or talents to help others. Over the years I have run job search support groups as a way of giving back. I will happily talk to a job searcher for a complimentary session to at least get them pointed in the right direction. And, admittedly, for those supporting a family where every dollar counts and everything you can generate is needed, I realize it is not that easy. But, if you are one fortunate enough to be blessed with those items you need, it is another way of giving thanks.
So, again, certainly express your gratitude. Make sure to acknowledge those who have helped you along the way. However, look to touch the lives of others you likely will never meet by giving away what you have that you no longer need, but might make a major difference in the life of another.
