Good Morning! This is Live a Life by Design coming to you on this Monday morning, a few days before Thanksgiving. Oh, this is one of my favorite weeks, can you hold on for just a second tho. *shuffling pages off mic/”Where did I put that paper, what’s going on….”
Lori Few: Hey! Hey, hey, hey. Jimmy!
JW: Yea…
LF: Take it easy. It’s the week of Thanksgiving.
JW: Ah, you know that’s important. I have with me today, folks, a special host. A co-host!
LF: That’s right, ladies and gentlemen, I’m back! This is Lori Few coming to you live with Jimmy Williams this morning.
JW: Hey, I tell you, these are the fun ones that I love to share. Lori brings such a vibrant edge to this whole show, and the last time she was on, it almost blew up the internet with all the downloads folks. She is fantastic as an addition to this. Today she is right. You know, how many of us start this week with this in trepidation, we wake on Monday thinking, “Oh I don’t just have work to contend with, I’ve got to get all this food. I’ve got to get the kids special clothing for Thanksgiving together. I’ve got to get the car ready…” You know, we start off with this checklist and I think Lori’s point is well made today. Let’s just calm down, count our blessings for the day and then get ready for Thanksgiving in a little bit more purposeful manner.
LF: I agree, but you have to have coffee.
JW: Yes, and I didn’t mention she’s still in her coffee-oholics room. She’s had coffee this morning folks, I don’t think she’s gonna come unglued on us, but hey, you know this is a podcast. Anything can happen, right?
LF: Anything can happen.
JW: So today, Lori, let’s do something for our audience. We have thousands of people listening in 13 countries now! You people have really made my week. Continuing to add listeners and subscribers all over the world. Those people that are wanting those positive, powerful points that just make their day to give their Monday morning motivation as well as make their lives bigger, better, and bolder. And we’re gonna do that today, right Lori?
LF: We’re gonna do the best we can.
JW: Hey, you bet, so today we’re gonna talk about a special special day. Thanksgiving Day in the United States! And I will tell you this is one of my most favorite of holidays. I’d say it’s right up there, probably around Christmas, if not better than Christmas because to me this is where everybody in the family, on my side of the family gets together. Crams into my parents very small home and we just have the smell of food and the chatter of the great grandkids and kids playing in the living room. And it’s just a beautiful day. But Lori, today let’s talk about 4 approaches that we can take so that our people listening can win on Thanksgiving Day.
LF: So, I think the first thing that we need to talk about this morning is to create an attitude of gratitude. And I think Thanksgiving is the perfect opportunity for us to be able to do that. Whether it’s a simple family get together, two people or if you have a family of 50, everybody has the opportunity to bring something into that room on that day. And just going into it with a positive, and I know it’s hard to say, but laid back attitude, and comfortable clothes. Because that’s a requirement on Thanksgiving Day, for all the things that you’re going to eat that calories don’t count. But it’s an amazing opportunity for everybody just to focus on what you’re thankful for. And not saying that we can’t do that all year long, but especially on this day. And so, waking up and just not stressing or shuffling papers, or burning a pie or turkey, which I have done, we’ll get to that later. But just being open minded and appreciative and opening your mind and your heart not just your family but other families during this Thanksgiving season.
JW: Great advice. Totally agree. I will say though, is this the day we are all required to wear those sans a belt elastic waistband pants?
LF: Praise the person who created elastic, whoever that person is.
JW: Ah, you know, those wind pants that you guys get ever to wear because your wife says, “Hey, you don’t look good wearing trash bags.” Uh, that’s the day you wear those. This Thursday if you’re in the United States, wear those around and everybody will know what’s going on. You’re about to pile it on the plate, right? You know, Lori, you said something that’s great too, about that. Just leave the stress of the world behind. You know, at the end of the day. Leave the events of the week at home. Or leave them figuratively in a box in your mind. You know, too often we believe we have to carry the burden of the days with us everywhere we go. No matter what time of year. I’m going to encourage you this year to create an attitude of gratitude, as Lori said. One that is, I’m thankful for. Not I wish I had. You know, I wish I had another hour in the day. Or I wish I had another day to get ready. You know, Thanksgiving Day is set. The last Thursday of November. Every year it rolls around, it’s amazing, Lori. It rolls around on the same day of the week, every year so we know it’s coming, right?
LF: We know it’s coming and if you’re lucky like me, this year, my wedding anniversary is actually on Thanksgiving Day.
JW: Wow, Justin’s got something to be thankful for.”
LF: He does! And this year is our 15th wedding anniversary. So shoutout to my husband for putting up with me for 15 solid years, and on Thanksgiving Day we’re going to have to actually step up our game this year and be extra thankful for each other.
JW: You know, I don’t want to ruin it or anything, but Justin already told me what he’s getting you for your anniversary. And I’ll say it rhymes with jerky but start with a t.
LF: I’ll take it!
JW: Hey, turkeys good anytime. Now that tryptophan too will allow you to rest and sleep so he can watch football like I do in the afternoon. That’s it. So, one of the things too, that I love about Thanksgiving Day is is it’s really meant to be a purposeful day of gratitude. So, if you think about it, Lori, the very first Thanksgiving dinner that was held among the Native Americans of the US and at that time we weren’t the US but just North American. And then also the Thanksgiving Day was held with pilgrims that had left their land. Came over through a tumultuous seaward journey. Months of journey, by the way folks, it’s not like we get one planes now, leave Boston in 8 hours I’m in France. I’m talking months and months of sickness and seawater, and no land in sight. They landed and immediately gave thanks for their safety and arrival. You know, that to me is what’s so important. Is enjoying the special holiday in the context it was meant to be. So in the US, I know the president many years ago declared this day as a special day in the US to be celebrated purposefully. But we should have Thanksgiving gratitude literally every day of the year.
LF: Absolutely, and I think it’s important to remember that even though we earmark a day, and we set aside a day for that very thing of Thanksgiving. That it’s so easy to be thankful every single day of your life. Whether it’s thankful that you have your health, or you’re thankful that all four tires on your car have air in them so that you can get to work on time. Simple things like that are kind what we take for granted. So really to just take a step back, and acknowledge and appreciate those things are so very important because we do get so hustle and bustle. I don’t know that there’s a better word for it. We get so entrenched in our daily lives that we forget that very thing that’s so easy to do and that’s just to be thankful.
JW: You know, you always laugh at me when you’re my co-host or guest on this show, because I do have so many anecdotal lines for everything. But you are talking about a lifestyle I actually say it’s hard to watch the movie when you’re in it.
LF: True!
JW: So we get so busy being the star of our own show, everyday, you know five-six days a week. I know, like you’re husband and I, we’re entrepreneurs, you’re an entrepreneur, you know we don’t stop at five, and we don’t just stop on Friday. We have things that have to get done in our world. And sometimes Thanksgiving Day is that point for me where I can plan ahead for that day to say, you know, today is truly different. And I want to be thankful for the best assets I have in my life. And yea, that comes from the old CPA background. But anyway, the best assets I have in my life, family and friends. And truly show them that day that you are thankful for them being in your life, and what they add to the spice of life of making my life so valuable to me.
LF: Ok, so our next approach that we’re gonna talk about. The second thing we’re gonna talk about today, reflect on your year and look for the positives. So we have a tradition at my house that we do every night of the week. And lately as we’ve gotten a little older and our sons gotten a little more involved in activities it’s harder to get around the dinner table every night. But we try our best to do that, and every night we get together, when we have dinner. And the first thing that we each do as we go around the table, the three of us, we say good thing, bad thing, go. And so the first good thing that pops into your mind you have to share it. And then the first bad thing that pops into your mind, you have to share it. And so that just gives us just a sense to gage everybody’s day. And then we kinda dissect that, and I know that may sound corny. But that’s just what we do to connect as a family and to go around and to really identify at least one thing out of the entire day that we’re grateful for, and that may or may not been a positive and how can we share that and grow from that. And so that’s really one thing that we’ve tried to instill in our family that we do on a consistent basis. So that’s where we like to start.
JW: Wonderful idea. And I will tell you, time to me makes memories very difficult to retrieve. So I actually keep, I know, here it goes, I keep a gratitude journal Lori. So, I everyday come home from my day. No matter how tired I am, no matter what time of day it is. And don’t laugh, one time I flew in on a delayed flight and I got home at 1 am, I still wrote down my five things I was grateful for that day in my gratitude journal. Ik now I’m a little different, but let me tell you what that does for me at this time of year Lori. I go back to my journal, and I just flip through some of those days. And I look, and I go, you know, I’d forgotten about that, but yes, that is fantastic. And I just go through and look through this journal, a reflection if you will, introspection on where my life is. You know we talked about that on our greatness podcast series. Is just look at how good you have it, and you look at your life sometimes, and think woe is me and I’m saying hey, hey, hey, yay is me. That I’m glad that I was born in America. I’m glad I was born in the state I live, and the place I live. I believe we’re all here for a reason, and reflecting on those positives, I believe, will reinstill in your mindset of the gratitude in this day of thanksgiving.
LF: We live in such a world of measurement. You know, we’re constantly measuring ourselves. Are good enough, do we live up to the expectation of what, you know our spouse or our community, or our employer expects us to be. And I think that you just have to take that small and every step is a step forward and it’s positive, and you can’t compare yourself. You just have to take those small strides every single day and make sure that you’re staying true to yourself and being grateful for what you have and what you’re learning from.
JW: You know, sage advice, Lori. And I will say this, I often tell people, quit comparing your backstage to someone else’s frontstage, and my analogy with that really means, hey, you know, all of those stars when they were in the country music awards a week or so ago, they looked beautiful, but you know what? You didn’t see them backstage before the hairdresser, the clothing stylist, don’t laugh, they have technicians that handle all the music. And I’ll promise you, they rehearsed and they rehearsed, and they rehearsed. It’s such a timed event. Don’t look at them and go, Oh I wish I could look like her or him, or have that lifestyle. ‘Cause I assure you with every lifestyle that they show you that positive, there’s someone tugging on them for their time, their energy, their talents, that they don’t control.
LF: Absolutely.
JW: You know, one of the things too, about this, is our life. We have people tugging and pulling on us all day. You have a son, I have two wonderful, beautiful daughters, I’ll add all kinds of adjectives that we go. And they’re doing such great things. But I’ll tell you, we’ve added another challenge in our life.
LF: What?
JW: We’re now grandparents of a miniature Himalayan Persian kitten.
LF: Oh my goodness!
JW: This little kitten does not sleep, Lori. I’ll tell you, one of the challenges we have is that about 2:30-3 o’clock, all I hear, I mean literally in my ear. Cause she jumps up on our bed, and she just goes “RRRRREEEEAAAAMMMEEEOOOWWW”.
LF: I love that impression, can we hear that again?
JW: Yea, no I don’t think I can even do that again. I’m hoping our engineer can help me with that too, by the way. But, you know, at the end of the day we’ve got challenges that constantly pull on us and drain our energies. But this is Thanksgiving, people. We’re gonna put aside all these other items of less importance, as I say, not vital, but maybe important, but not as important as family and friends, Lori. This is the day that I want it to be totally different than the other 364 days of the year, right?
LF: Right. And I think that one of the mantras that I have in my life that I use every single day, and it absolutely applies to Thanksgiving. Happiness comes when you focus on the four G’s. And so those G’s are gratitude, gathering, giving, and growing. And I think all of those things happen all year long. But again, especially on Thanksgiving.
JW: Absolutely, and part of that could be interpreted differently of those four G’s. Like two of those G’s for me would be the gathering and growing, which would mean I would gather a big plate, maybe even two of them for Thanksgiving and the growing commences a few calories later, is that what you’re referring?
LF: No, not, well, I mean absolutely it can apply. But, gathering, I think of gathering as, you know, throughout your journey in life you gather people. Every person I come into contact with, I gather something from them. So I really interpret that gathering as you take a small piece of each person that you work with, that you socialize with, that you come into contact with. Someone that’s in your family. We’re a big framily, if you will, for lack of a better term. I think of that, when I think of gathering, and you put those small nuances and experiences from each person in your life, and you put those into your heart and you keep those and you internalize that into ways that you can then, you know, make someone else’s life better. The growing, obviously, I’m short in stature, so I’m probably done growing upwards, I think.
JW: Watch out, horizontal comes next. If you get through with the vertical, not that I know. I mean, I’ve just heard. I’ve heard.
LF: But growing for me, again, I think that it really does go back to gathering. I mean, you gather all those experiences in life and you grow from them. You know, last time I was on, we talked about grow through what you go through. I just think that that’s so important, even on Thanksgiving, that we’re continuing to grow each and everyday.
JW: That is excellent advice. The four G’s, man, I’m gonna put those in the show notes cause that was awesome. And I think that’s something that I can use in my life, particularly as we grow with our family and friends, and I want to make a statement too. You know, it seems like I don’t get to spend as much time with the people that I do desire, which are friends in most cases during the year. And this may be the day that if you can’t reach out to them physically, I know this, is what I do, some of my friends are out of state that I just love and adore, good people. I send cards this time of year, hand written cards that just tell them, Hey, you know, I appreciate you. Don’t send an email. Lori, here’s my thing, people get thousands of emails, and if you’re like me I get 250 to 300 a day.
LF: It gives me anxiety.
JW: Yea, and to be honest with you, I don’t even look at them. I just kinda go, I don’t recognize that, boom. It’s gone, right? But sending them something in the mail that took the time for your to write by hand some loving words, comments, thoughts, how you appreciate them. Putting that actual stamp on there, don’t lick it anymore, they’re self-adhesive, I found that out. Don’t ask me how I found that out, yes, don’t lick the stamp. But no, on a serious note, I send those out so Monday, today, I’ll be sending out several of those cards that should be there before Thanksgiving.
LF: And I too am an avid card writer. I buy them, any fundraiser that a student has, if they’re selling those boxes of greeting cards, especially the blank ones. I love a good card, and I always, all the girls I’ve worked with or that I’ve mentored, that’s one of the number one lessons that we talk about. We share is that, it’s one thing to text someone or to call someone or send them an email, or just you know say hi in passing. But it really does mean something to them if you write it down or just send it to them. Just that you took the time to do that for them. And it’s so meaningful. I have a huge wooden chest of cards that I have received. And I know that may sound hokey to save those, but when I’m having a time in my life where I need someone to refill my spirit, and to really help my soul feel good. I always go back to that wooden box. So I guess you could say that’s one of the things that I’m really grateful and thankful for.
JW: Absolutely. I will tell you that if you’re not doing this in your own life, it’s not really just the joy you’re bringing the person receiving the card. It’s something I can’t explain, but you just feel a certain warmness in your own heart and mind, going hey, you know, I need to extend this thought to someone and they have that in writing. As Lori said they refer to it, as a matter of fact, you’re gonna love this. I’ve got a very dear dear friend up in the northeast, and I send her a card every Thanksgiving, cause I’m not there on Thanksgiving Day. She’s in Boston, very busy executive. Lady’s very very talented at what she does. Very successful. But she says, when I get that card, which now they’re used to it. So I say this to our team. Don’t elevate something just to quit. You’ve got to keep it going if you enjoy it right.
LF: We’re not quitters. (18:05 gets weird)
JW: No, so what she does, she says, I get that card and I literally stop whatever I’m doing, and I hold that card in my hand I just reflect. So that’s what we’re talking about on creating this positive for someone else as you reflect on your year for your positives. So approach number 3, Lori, start Thanksgiving Day Differently than you do your normal routine. This is something that I like to do, you know, I’ve talked before on our podcast. I have a morning routine, yes, I’m that guy. I have an evening routine. I call it my shut down routine. My wife says, you sound like a computer, you know, shut down routine. But, I do things that I don’t have to make decisions, to be honest with you, by the end of the day I have decision fatigue. It is a real situation, it is scientists say, something that is the brains attempt to say I’m done for the day, we’re done and so I try to set up routines. But on Thanksgiving Day, did you know I have a unique routine?
LF: I’m dying to hear this unique routine.
JW: You’re gonna laugh. So I actually play traditional Thanksgiving type songs that you’re gonna hear in the Macy’s Day Parade.
LF: I love the Macy’s Day Parade. Annual tradition, watch it every year.
JW: I shave by listening to that. Don’t know why, but that morning of Thursday, listening to that music. Picturing in my mind, those giant floats as they come down 5th Ave. And I have been to New York during the March St. Patrick’s Day Parade, I can only imagine being there on Macy’s day, right? But I will tell you it is something that I do differently. The other thing I do differently as well, instead of waiting at night for my gratitude journal, which I’ve already done the night before. I get up that morning and I write three things for that day that I want to happen that’s positive for my family and me. Three things, I make sure they happen that day. And one of those is always show my deepest love to my family. Because, and I will say, with our two daughters in other states. Well, one’s in Norman, of course, in Oklahoma, but the other one’s in Missouri. You know, if it hadn’t been for such technology as Facetime, I don’t know that I’d be handling the separation as well. We’re a pretty close family. And so at the end of the day, I want to start my day differently. Usually I’m up pretty early, I’m kinda that 5:30 am guy. I don’t know why, I just always have been. So, I will say this, calling my daughter in Missouri, if she weren’t here, like when she gets older, like at 5:30 in the morning. I think I want to add to my routine. What are your thoughts?
LF: I think that you should add that, totally. I think that, you know, on Thanksgiving Day we all have those different routines, and I think for moms it’s, Ok, we’ve gotta get up and we gotta make sure everybody has their outfit to wear, and we’re gonna start cooking and we’re gonna start baking, and we’re gonna get those things going. One of the things that I can remember growing up, you know, on Thanksgiving, and you’re gonna laugh, but you know, my mom and my nana, I can remember them teaching me how to make mash potatoes.
JW: How to make mash potatoes.
LF: Mash potatoes, and I can remember being about 14/15 and going into the kitchen and them saying, OK, this is the year that you’re going to start participating in Thanksgiving meal prep.
JW: I’m sorry Lori. How to make mash potatoes. Now folks, I was an old boy scout. Here we go. Grab said potato, and put in said pan. And just mash it til it’s a pulp. Am I close?
LF: Yea but, you’re close, but it’s all about texture ok. It’s the whipping and the mashing and the adding slowly of the butter.
JW: See folks, that’s why she’s on this podcast. She brings a certain class, if you will. A savoir-vivre, if you will.
LF: Yea, mash potatoes are, they have to have flair, they have to have fluffy. So that’s one of the things that traditionally that started for me, that I remember. So I still do that now. I’m very much in charge of the mash potatoes, and this will be our 3rd Thanksgiving without my grandmother, and I, every time I look at a set of mash potatoes on Thanksgiving, that’s the one thing that I remember. She would really expect me to exceed expectations there. So I can’t let her down. So I have to make sure that’s my Thanksgiving to do for sure.
JW: That is an awesome approach. And one thing that I will tell you is, I am a connoisseur of mash potatoes. Not just of the old Idaho white potato, I actually enjoy them as a mash of sweet potatoes. And you can spice that up. Oh, man, I’m already getting hungry and we’ve got three days to go, so let’s don’t even start talking about Thanksgiving food or I’m out of here, right? But you know the goal for this day should be to realize your potential for the day that is by definition thankfulness. You heard me say my top three things, one thing I do for sure. Every year is put on my top three for that day. I want to show my family how much they mean to me. Not just in my words, but in my actions. You know, instead of rushing around. Finishing the food you want to take the family gathering for lunch. Think about preparing that food perhaps the night before, and you can heat it up. Or maybe lay out the children’s clothing the night before. I know we always did this, because let’s face it, I have two daughters, Lori. And so a decision of clothing is not a simple task.
LF: No, no. It takes a lot of thought process.
JW: And don’t even ask me about those accessories. When especially they’re like in their 4,5,6,7 year old age when they want to pick some things out and that’s a very tough combination sometimes for their mother. Of course, as their dad I could care less, and just whatever they wear as long as they’re clean.
LF: We do have standards though, regardless.
JW: The simple things I do too. Go fill the tank of the car. If you’re like us, we have to travel, my mother and dad live about an hour and a half away. So fill up the car the night before. In other words, what I’m trying to say is take away some of these mundane but necessary tasks, so when you awake on that Thursday morning, three days from now, you will be able to do something differently that day. You won’t have the hustle and bustle in your life.
LF: Alright, so I guess we’re gonna move on to approach number 4, after the mash potato conversation. I’m still stuck on the mash potatoes! Reach out and provide for someone less fortunate. Going back to the pilgrims, and the first Thanksgiving. I absolutely think this is an approach that is very important on Thanksgiving that we remember and we practice and I think that no matter your age, no matter where you are in life, no matter what status you have or don’t have. It doesn’t take anything to pour into someone less fortunate during this time of the year. And that can be anywhere from a food donation to just simply reaching out and telling someone, I’m grateful that you’re here. I appreciate that you’re part of my life, or that you’re part of my community. And it’s really important to remember that it doesn’t necessarily have to be a hand out, but it’s a hand up. And it’s just that we all walk this same life together in one way or another and that we can help each other and that’s really important on Thanksgiving.
JW: I’m not a big news watcher anymore, but I will tell you, it has been hard for me, Lori, to avoid, and yes that’s what I do. Even in my satellite radio. If it’s scanning through something and I hear something that’s news, and I quickly change it, because there’s so much negativity going on right now. In our country, you know, our leaders are battling some decisions to make that they feel is appropriate, and some feel that it’s not appropriate. So it’s just a real stressful time in the United States for our country. And I love the fact of what you said, a hand up not a hand out. I think most of our listeners understand that concept that we all have our lives to lead and we, some of us, have had a little bit more abundance than others. Maybe in the area of physical assets or monetary gain or whatever. We can always reach out, feed a family for goodness sakes, and make it easy for them, that they wouldn’t otherwise have a great Thanksgiving. And if you would, write them a handwritten note about how, like Lori said, you’re thankful that they’re in your life. Our community is not made up of just specific, homogeneous type people. We’re not all the same. And Lori said amen under her breath looking at me. We’re not all the same. And so at the end of the day, you know, I think if we will just take and create a sense of gratitude in our own life by considering the needs of others. You will find your Thanksgiving Day to be one that is robust and filled with a great joy for yourself. And to me that’s what Thanksgiving to me is about.
LF: Absolutely, and you never know when you pay it forward and do something for someone that’s less fortunate. I know, in the previous podcast I was on. We talked about my childhood a little bit. And I’m always kind of reserved when I talk about that so I really appreciate the opportunity to come on earlier and talk about growing up in the foster care system. But I remember being a young child, and having someone come to our home and deliver a box of food around Thanksgiving, and they were just so happy to be able to provide that. And I remember that was our meal. And now that I’m an adult, and I’ve had the opportunity to have some great fortune and great opportunity to have people invest in my life to help me become the person that I am now. It’s very important to me that I give back to those organizations that helped me when I was in that position as a child. And so, I want people to be aware, you don’t ever know when you’re helping someone, when you’re giving that box of food to that family, you may very well be changing the trajectory of that child’s life.
JW: Absolutely and I gotta echo a couple of things. So I was youngest of six, and raised in a rural environment, parents didn’t have a whole lot of excess money, as I’ve said, but I never went without food, and I’ll tell you why. Cause when I’d bring my plate back to my mother she’d always say, you’ve had enough. And so I knew, apparently I’d have enough. But we did do one thing unique to our family, Lori, that at every meal pretty much, we did pray over each meal. And that’s not something unique in itself, but we as children prayed with one eye open because there wasn’t often a lot of extra food. So, that’s not true folks. We never, if you can tell by looking at my stature, I think my physical being, my stature may not be that high but my physical being is 6’2″ and nothing but muscle. But anyway.
LF: It’s the potatoes.
JW: It’s the potatoes! The carbs, so if I overdo the carbs it’s Lori’s fault.
LF: I will take responsibility.
JW: Yes, so what we’re saying today. Reach out, provide for someone less fortunate than you. And I will say to you this, it doesn’t restrict itself to Thanksgiving folks. Christmas is right around the corner. Less than 30 days away.
LF: I have a rule. I have a very strict rule. Christmas can not start until Thanksgiving night. So, I know that everyone says on October 31st at the stroke of midnight that Christmas happens, that’s not true. We don’t overshadow or overlook Thanksgiving in my house. We absolutely take every single day in November and we enjoy those days and Christmas can not start until after Thanksgiving is complete.
JW: I think that’s right. You know, my brother’s birthday is on December 31st. So when he was younger, they basically put his birthday party and Christmas so close together, it felt like, well, you know it’s just all one big week of Christmas, right?
LF: Right.
JW: And so, my mother always did try to do her best to bifurcate the holiday from his birthday to give him a point of reference that, hey, this is a special day just for you. And folks, I’ve got to tell you Lori has been celebrating her 29th birthday now for like 5 years.
LF: Nine years!
JW: Wow!
LF: Yea.
JW: Nine years folks, I’m good with math, I’m not gonna say her age, but that’s little bit higher than I thought cause you can’t tell by looking at her. And by the way, she has done something in her life. I’m gonna embarrass her a little bit about. She and her family have, reached out to a lot in our community that needed help in various ways, and she and her husband are both very very involved, as well as her son, in the community. And I am thankful for that. Thank you for giving of your time.
LF: Thank you. We love it, we wouldn’t have it any other way.
JW: Absolutely, so let’s talk about these 4 approaches real quickly. So at the end of the day, approach number 1:
LF: Create an attitude of gratitude.
JW: Approach number 2:
LF: Reflect on your year and look for the positives.
JW: Approach number 3:
LF: Start Thanksgiving Day differently than you do your normal routine.
JW: And approach number 4:
LF: Reach out and provide for someone less fortunate.
JW: You know Lori, I don’t see anything in these approaches that could not be accomplished by anyone that’s listening.
LF: That’s the great thing about this discussion this morning is that anybody can do this. It doesn’t require any qualifications, it’s just being a human being on this planet and walking everyday in hopeful gratitude and appreciation.
JW: You know that’s a great way for us to end this segment of the podcast episode. You said something there that triggered my mind. Jim Rohn, my mentor always said, “You either take charge of your day or it controls you”. In other words, set those three important things you want to do on Thanksgiving Day, first thing that morning before the day starts. Before all this busyness starts in your mind. And set those three things to be the most important. And I hope that is family and friends at the top of your list. So really, at this point, Lori, we’ve got these four approaches I gotta question for you. What are you gonna take from these four approaches maybe, and apply to make your Thanksgiving this year a little different or unique?
LF: Well, I think I’m definitely going to plan ahead. I think I’m gonna take your suggestion and do outfits the night before. Because that does seem to be a struggle at our house, even though we have a son. So, I’m gonna, I’m definitely gonna take that. And I think I’m gonna spend a little bit more time helping the community Thanksgiving dinner. We have a great local group of people that put on a Thanksgiving feast, and it is a feast, and it, they set up two to three weeks ahead, and they prep and they make food and they take donations, and they do deliveries, and they actually serve that meal. And so, I really would like to focus a little bit more and help in that regard. When we were talking about approach number 4, about helping someone less fortunate.
JW: That’s just wonderful. And we’re gonna go out this year too. Maybe an additional family, our family’s always helped one family with a complete Thanksgiving meal. Prepped and ready to go, just maybe need to heat it up a little bit. And can serve for their family to have a great meal. And I’m gonna give you a secret, Lori, we don’t even put our name on this. So what we really do is we seek out someone with the school system that has a child that they know their home life may or may not be supportive enough for a good Thanksgiving. And we ask them if we could just get them to either deliver the food for us, or let us know the address so we can deliver it through the provider of that food for us. Just something that will make that family’s day seem a little brighter.
LF: Well, and I think that’s the great thing about gratitude is that it can be completely anonymous. You can walk through life and show gratitude towards a complete stranger, and it may impact them and create a total turnaround for their day. And they may never know who you are. One of the great things that I love to do, you’re talking about helping those that are less fortunate. It’s not necessarily less fortunate, but one of the things that I love to do, and in appreciation to show my gratitude, you know me, I’m a big coffee drinker. My goodness.
JW: Big coffee drinker is an understatement, right, Lori?
LF: But one of the ways that I show gratitude to a complete stranger, and I can’t claim that I started this, because it was probably started way before my time, but, the pay it forward in the coffee shop. I love to just say, hey, ya know, I want to pay for whoever’s behind me. And I never, I always just grab my coffee and go about my day. But I always like to think that whoever that person was behind me, it made them smile. Or it made them, shock, I mean, to believe, the word shock, I think people don’t expect kindness. And gratitude, so when that happens, it’s one of my favorite things to do, and I secretly love to do it. And I will do it anywhere.
JW: So folks, what you’ve heard is if you see Lori at our local coffee shop, always stand behind her.
LF: Come stand behind me! I may not recognize you or know who you are but, I may, you very well may get my cup of gratitude that morning.
JW: I love it. I love it. Lori, thank you so much for joining me today as a co-host on our show. And I do have a special favor if I could ask.
LF: OK.
JW: You know when you ask someone on something that’s on a show and they admit to it, you’ve got it on record. So here it goes, I would love if you would join me as co-host again. I have one special episode coming up about this jolly guy with a red suit that we celebrate in the US, and the world over. And I got suspicions that I’ve asked him if he would drop by during the show that day and also maybe bring a reindeer or two, you know to kinda talk to us. Would you be willing to help with that?
LF: I would love to help with that. I have a list for him. If it’s the same person, red suit that I think.
JW: Yea, he’s a jolly gentleman, I’ll say that. And so, I will reach out to you and see if your schedule will accommodate that cause I know I’m going to need some help, especially of reindeer. Have you been around them? They eat all of the carrots.
LF: I have never been around a real reindeer.
JW: Well, I have, and I will say this to you, they are very nice pets until you get between them and the food. But anyway, hey, thank you again for joining me.
LF: Thank you for having me.
JW: This week’s challenge, guys, is I want to ask you to apply on of the 4 approaches we mentioned in this episode to create a truly special day for your family and yourselves. Do me a big favor, go to our Facebook page at Live a Life by Design, input what you did that day of Thanksgiving and help lift up millions of other people that are going to look at that Facebook page and see a bright star in their day and that word of kindness may be something that really makes a big difference in someone else’s life. So with that said Lori, will you do us the honor of closing the show?
LF: Wishing our listeners in the U.S. a Happy Thanksgiving! To all of our listeners across the world, we wish you an abundance of joy!
JW: Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
