For many people, it has simply become a time when families come together to eat turkey and watch football. 对许多人来说,它只是成为了一家人聚在一起，吃火鸡,看足球的一段日子。

In fact i would bet most children don't even truely understand what thanksgiving is about. 实际上，我敢打赌很多孩子不知道感恩节的真正意义。

As we prepare to celebrate this Thanksgiving with our family and friends, 当我们准备与家人和朋友庆祝感恩节时,

I encourage you, regardless of where you live in the world, to stop and reflect on the things for which you are grateful. 我鼓励你,无论你住在世界上哪个角落,停下来反思一下，你要感恩的事情。

In our busy and demanding lives, it’s easy to focus on our challenges and overlook the things we are truly blessed to enjoy. 在我们忙碌而严苛的生活中,我们很容易专注于挑战，而忽略我们真正有福享受的事情。

It’s easy to lament what we don’t have, rather than appreciate what we do have. 很容易抱怨我们没有的东西,而不是欣赏我们所有的。

We would all benefit from the words of Epictetus, a stoic Greek philosopher,who said,  我们都受益于埃皮克提图的至理名言,一位希腊斯多葛派哲学家,他说,

“He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.” “聪明人不为他没有的东西而悲伤苦恼,而为现实的拥有欢欣鼓舞。”

When we focus on all the positive things in our lives, we will find more joy, satisfaction, and happiness. 当我们关注生活中积极的事情,我们会发现更多的快乐,满足和幸福。

Our lives will take on greater meaning and our hearts will be filled with love and gratitude. 我们的生活将承担更大的意义，我们的心中将充满爱和感激。

1. Make a list of all the things for which you are thankful. Stretch yourself to make a list of 50 people, things, or events. 1。将所有你心怀感恩的事情列一个清单。竭尽全力列出50条相关的人,事物,或事件。

This can include the names of family, friends, co-workers and others whose relationships you value. 这可以包括家人的名字,朋友、同事和其他你看重关系的人。

Include your religious affiliations, your pastor or priest. Include our country and the servicemen who are protecting our land and our rights. 包括你的宗教信仰,你的牧师或神父。包括我们的国家，保护我们土地和权利的军人。

It can also include your physical being, material possessions, and conveniences we so often take for granted. 它还可以包括你的身体,物质财富,我们经常认为理所当然的便利。

Parents, let me encourage you to have your children participate in this exercise. 做父母的,我鼓励你，让你的孩子参与这个练习。

2. After making this list take some quiet time and reflect on everything you have listed. 2。做完这个列表后，你需要一些安静的时间，来思考你已经列入其中的一切。

In the words of Thornton Wilder, “We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.” 桑顿·怀尔德说,“只有当我们意识到了心中的宝藏，我们才能说，在那一刻，我活着。”

3. Express your gratitude to the people you’ve listed. It could be a hand-written note, a personalized email, a text message, or a phone call. 3。向你表中列出的人，表达你的感激之情。这可能是一个手写的便条,一封个性化的电子邮件、一条短信或一个电话。

Whatever method you choose to use, make it personal and heartfelt. Let these people know how you feel about them and how special they are to you. 无论你选择使用哪种方法,使其个性化，并发自内心。让这些人知道，你对他们的感觉,他们对你来说是多么的特别。

If the weight of your challenges makes it difficult to give thanks, reflect back how the pilgrims must have felt. 如果挑战成了你过重的负担，说出感激的话很难,那么回顾一下，清教徒那时心里必然会有的感受。

“The Pilgrims made seven times more graves than huts. No Americans have been more impoverished than those who, nevertheless, set aside a day of thanksgiving.” H. U. Westermayer. H. U..Westermayer说 “清教徒的坟墓比居住的小屋多7倍。没有美国人会比那些清教徒更贫穷潦倒,然而,清教徒们还是留出了一天做感恩节。”

Don’t take anything you have for granted. Instead express your gratitude for all your many blessings—great and small. 不要把你的所有，当作理所当然的。要为你所有的福气--无论大小，表达你的感激之情。