Happy Thanks-Living & Being Great-Ful (More Than the Turkey. More Than the Day.)
Nov 26, 2025
Written By Bart Berkey | Most People Don't
For our friends who celebrate Thanksgiving, it’s easy to treat this holiday as a single moment of gratitude.
A pause. A day off.
A beautiful dinner
Perhaps a reflection of your year and your accomplishments.
Then it's back to business.
But THANKS-LIVING is something different.
THANKS-LIVING is a daily mindset.
It's about living with gratitude every day, not "just because it's a holiday."
It’s about choosing appreciation despite any setbacks, missed opportunities, or even people that annoy or frustrate you.
The other day, I lost my car key at the gym.
At first, my routine was thrown off, my plans were delayed, and I had no idea where the key had vanished. I became agitated.
But despite those “lost 20 minutes", it turned into something positive:
- I met three new people who were genuinely willing to help.
- One person suggested putting an AirTag on my key, a great idea for the future.
- Despite the unexpected delay, I wasn’t late at all.
And I also walked out with four new gym friends.
Maybe I would’ve rushed.
Maybe I would’ve missed out on meeting the people I needed most.
Maybe I would’ve missed the exact moments that ended up being good for me.
THANKS-LIVING doesn’t mean everything is easy.
THANKS-LIVING means everything is usable.
THANKS-LIVING means trusting that things will work out.
Unless we convince ourselves that the outcome has to look a certain way.
Yes, results and outcomes are the goals. How you get there may pivot unexpectedly. It's ok.
When the way the outcome happens stops mattering so much, everything somehow works out.
As I often say:
It’s Great or it’s Great.
It’s Great or it’s Not Great…
but either way, it will be great.
Why Most People Don’t… and Why You Can
On recent podcast episodes, I’ve been asking guests:
"Why do Most People 'Not Do' what they know they should do?"
A powerful answer came from one guest:
“Most people haven’t personally felt the consequences or the benefits of experience.”
Those who learn from their own experiences and from others’ grow faster, live differently, and choose better.
My 90-year-old mother has never had surgery.
She’s never really exercised, and she eats what she wants, when she wants.
She says she is content. Good for her.
She’s always embraced her old habits and lived contentedly, but she's carried extra weight for many years and often feels low on energy.
She’s living at 90, and I’m grateful for that!
But her days aren’t very active, and her opportunities feel limited by her condition.
She gives herself permission to stay this way, despite my family members and myself urging her to take actions that would help her mobility and help her lose weight.
I've thought about this a lot, and always wonder why she doesn't take aciton?
I believe it's because she has never had to deal with a major health crisis, she never felt the nudge to focus on wellness.
The "why" was never important enough to make the "how" become easy.
I do often wonder if her outcome at 90 be even better if she had taken the advice to heart and taken action?
To me, she is alive, but not living to her full capacity and enjoyment.
She is capable and could have easily taken action to improve, but I believe she lacks the self-motivation necessary to do so.
Might she have more energy, greater mobility, or more options for how she spends her time today?
Might she enjoy spending her time with more friends and relatives?
Might she enjoy going to art museums and to cultural exhibits instead of sitting at home in front of the TV.
Yes, I believe so, but she continues to give herself permission to "not take action", day after day, year after year.
Meanwhile, I’ve had five surgeries.
Each one taught me to take new action. I continue to move differently, to protect and prioritize my health, and to value lifelong energy.
I’ve learned that small changes in self-care do add up to big differences in how I live and feel, even decades down the road.
I admire my mother’s contentment, she says she is happy, but I learned how actively nurturing my health opened up more choices, freedom, and vitality, not just “living,” but truly living well.
I always feel better after I exercise. I sleep better. I think better.
Neither approach is “right” or “wrong.”
However, the lessons life hands us, especially through challenges, can help us choose to live not just gratefully, but Great-Fully, filled with energy, possibility, and purpose.
With each new day, we all have the ability to choose differently.
Audit your self. Are you content? Are you satisfied? Do you like where you live? Do you like how you look? Do you like how you feel?
Do you want anything different?
If so, take action.
Whether you are the type that needs an emergency or problem to take action or not, you can decide to take action & make different choices today. It's true.
Taking action can lead you to the outcome you desire.
Pay attention to your progress, notice and course correct if necessary.
If you don't, you will likely stay on a path that does not lead you to your goal or the outcome you desire.
It's up to you to review and course correct. No one is going to hold your hand or do it for you.
You will get 'somewhere' or 'something', but not necessarily what you wanted.
One way leads to living better, longer and that is where THANKS-LIVING matters.
From Grateful to GREAT-FUL
Grateful is important, but during Thanksgiving especially, the word gets overused.
So here’s a new idea:
How do we become GREAT-FUL?
FULL… of GREAT?
Grateful is good, but being Great-Ful is even better.
Great to yourself through self-care, rest, movement, and attention.
Great to others with kindness, empathy, noticing and over-delivering, appreciating.
Great to the universe by contributing, helping, being aware, and showing up.
This week isn’t just about the turkey and stuffing.
It’s about THANKS-LIVING and being GREAT-FUL with the people you love.
Live gratefully.
Show up greatly.
And remember…Most People Don’t, but YOU do.
Happy THANKS-LIVING!
For More Inspiration:
🎧 Listen to This Week’s Podcast Episodes:
For All The Marbles, In Partnership with Marblism
Most People Don't...but YOU Do!
#209 "We’re In the YES Business: Carrie Campbell’s (Boston Red Sox Executive) Culture Playbook"
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