Appreciate Your Blessings

Thanksgiving is an important day to recognize and appreciate your life's blessings, Rabbi Shmuley says. He talks about the importance of giving thanks and sharing that message of gratitude with your children."Many of us teach our kids about thankfulness through guilt. Let's stop that," he says. "Rather, let's inspire our kids and help them realize that what we have in this country is precious. Help them establish values and morals."
Rabbi Shmuley offers his advice on what Americans should be happy for:

• Family: "They love us when we're not doing anything," Rabbi Shmuley says. "They don't love us because we're rich or famous—they just love us."
• Health: This is something many people take for granted, and it often goes unappreciated until a health crisis comes along, he says.
• Fulfillment: "As Americans, we often think that we don't have enough," Rabbi Shmuley says. "We should be thankful for everything we have, especially the food on our plates when hunger is an issue all over the world."
• Friends: These people love you without being related to you and choose to love you, which makes you feel unique, he says.
• Employment: "If we are lucky enough to have jobs that make us feel like we're making an impact, we should be incredibly thankful."
• God: "We thank God for our lives, our health and all our blessings," he says.
  

Today's Shmuleyism:
"The ability to experience gratitude is one of the most human emotions. It shows that you can be touched by someone else's kindness, that you can be appreciative of your most important blessings. The opposite is to feel insatiable—that what you have is never enough. It is therefore incumbent upon parents to teach children to give thanks, be more caring and more loving."