By Wally Amos
Giving
Thanks
Happy Thanksgiving! Once again it’s that time of year when
we officially give thanks. Each year I
become more mindful of being thankful for each life experience. Often during my
lectures when I talk about enthusiasm I tell the audience the only reason we
need to be enthusiastic is to wake up. If you wake up, it’s appropriate to say
thanks.
Often we live our lives on automatic taking each experience
for granted. We are so focused on the material aspects of life that we lose
sight of everything else. This morning I put all my business activities aside
and spent two hours walking the beach and swimming in the ocean with my wife,
Christine. Once again we were reminded how blessed we are to live in Hawaii. We
observed the reflection of the sun on the crystal clear water creating multiple
patterns on the sandy ocean floor, a school of fish that had no fears or worries
and the unbelievable beauty of Hawaii. We found ourselves repeatedly giving
thanks for the privilege of living in such a beautiful place; something we never
want to take for granted.
I spoke today with a friend whose wife had surgery two days
ago and they were thankful that initial indications are that all of the cancer
was removed. You can bet they now have a consciousness of thankfulness.
The ideal situation is to give thanks before hand. Years ago I
had my thyroid removed. Before the surgery I absolutely gave thanks that all
parties involved in the surgery were very skilled at performing this type of
operation and that I was divinely protected at all times. For me, giving thanks
is a sign of appreciation and gratitude that also brings about a deep sense of
peace.
So, starting right now, be more conscious of all that life has
to offer and say, “thank you.”
Wally Amos lives in Lanikai. Amos is best known as the creator of the “Famous
Amos” brand of chocolate chip cookie. In Kailua, Wally and Christine Amos are
opening a retail store for “Chip & Cookie,” the literacy dolls and
family reading program they created.