Giving thanks. It’s something we’re hearing about a lot this weekend as Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving.

But are we really putting it into practice, not just this weekend, but every day?

According to the Canadian Encyclopedia, “the first official, annual Thanksgiving in Canada was celebrated on 6 November 1879, though Indigenous peoples in Canada have a history of celebrating the fall harvest that predates the arrival of European settlers.”.

We don’t so much celebrate the fall harvest anymore (unless perhaps you’re a farming family). The day has evolved into time for families and friends to come together over food and football and board games and walks in the now colourful parks. If your family is anything like mine, chances are there will also be some squabbles.

It’s perhaps hard not to become jaded and negative. On the campaign trail leading up to the federal election, all we seem to hear from our elected officials, pundits and so-called experts is what is wrong with this great country, instead of also celebrating what is right. I really wish we could change that dialogue because overall, we have it pretty damn good.

“Canada is rated in the top 10 in all but one of the nine attributes…”

Canada isn’t perfect and we should not expect it to be. There is always room for improvement, just like, within us, there is always room for growth. Yet, even as it matures, Canada continues to rank highest in quality of life when compared with 79 other countries. In fact, the 2019 Best Countries rankings report shows “Canada is rated in the top 10 in all but one of the nine attributes…”.

It doesn’t mean we shouldn’t strive for better, but we also need to make sure we are taking time to remember and be grateful for all that we do have.

I have lived and worked in countries where people don’t have the rights and freedoms we enjoy in Canada; where people will die for their beliefs; where people will line up for an entire day in the blazing sun in the hopes that their voice will count in their federal election. Here at home, I’m hearing people complain about having to wait 30 minutes to cast their ballot in the advance polls, where that 30 minutes is spent inside a comfortable environment, out of the elements.

“For years, I chose to go down the rabbit hole of bitterness and anger.”

Choosing to focus on the negative – and it is a choice – is not healthy, collectively or on an individual basis. For years, I chose to go down the rabbit hole of bitterness and anger and it affected me, not for the better.

A few years ago, I CHOSE to change the way I look at things. I started by thinking of five things to be thankful for before I close my eyes at night. When I CHOSE to focus on the positive, I became more aware and thankful for the beautiful sunset, the songs of birds, a good cup of tea, getting all the green lights. Simple, everyday moments. It took a while, but it’s now pretty much engrained and I tend to view virtually every situation as a “glass half full” scenario. As a result, I feel much happier and healthier.

What will you choose this Thanksgiving?