The Americans have a wonderful national holiday called Thanksgiving. The first 102 English Pilgrims who left Plymouth in September 1620 traveled for two months across the seas to the new world. They arrived in Massachusetts on December 11th. They were, however, not ready for the harsh winter ahead and more than half perished. They were then assisted by the local Red Indian population to plant crops that would be ready for the next winter. The crops were very successful and the Pilgrims declared a Thanksgiving Festival to thank God, the Indian tribe that assisted them, and family and friends who worked together to create the bumper harvest.

How often do we, in modern days, really take time to reflect on all the good there is in our lives? How many times do we acknowledge how many friends and family, how many strangers and acquaintances, have actually sacrificed time and effort to ensure our success? How many times do we acknowledge God’s work in both our struggles and successes?

Step back for a moment and think about how truly thankful you should be. Focus on all that is good around you. Take time out from complaining about the bad, the imperfect and the “need to improve” thoughts, and celebrate the deals you’ve closed, the logos you’ve finalised, the Telkom line you managed to have installed. Thank all around you for the special gift they bring every day and consider how you would feel if they were suddenly not there.

Sometimes we feel like those Pilgrims, sailing across unchartered stormy seas. We know the bliss of seeing Land (read “Profit”), and we know how harsh the winter can be in the early years. But they did not give up after their first bad winter, despite more than half of them dying from starvation and cold. They mustered both internal resources (courage, determination, survival instinct) and external resources (the Indian tribe, the land and one another) and made a plan to survive the next harsh winter.

Sometimes we are so focused on survival that we lose focus and perspective and fail to see the successes we have achieved and fail to thank those that make our lives easier. Look around you - you have so much to be grateful for, as do I.