Two days until Thanksgiving:

The Preparedness of Gratitude

My friends,

In two days, many of us will gather for Thanksgiving. It’s a time of year steeped in tradition, a pause button pressed on the relentless pace of modern life. But as with many things that become traditions, it’s easy to go through the motions without connecting to the original, powerful idea at its core.

We speak of gratitude as a fleeting emotion, a polite sentiment we express before a meal. But I’ve come to understand that gratitude, in its deepest sense, is not a feeling at all. It is a practice. More than that, it is a fundamental skill of preparedness.

This may sound strange. Preparedness is often associated with gear, with plans, with a mindset of scanning the horizon for threats. Gratitude, on the other hand, seems soft, passive. But this is a profound misunderstanding of what it means to be truly ready for whatever comes.

Gratitude as an Inventory of What Is Real

At its heart, preparedness is about seeing reality clearly. It’s about knowing what you have, what you don’t have, and what you can do with the resources at your disposal. A scarcity mindset… one that focuses only on what is lacking, what is broken, what is feared, is a critical vulnerability. It clouds judgment and paralyzes action.

A gratitude practice is the antidote. It is the discipline of taking a clear-eyed inventory of your assets. I don’t just mean the food in your pantry or the tools in your workshop, though that is part of it. I mean the less tangible, but far more critical, resources.

Are you grateful for the clean water that comes from your tap? That is an acknowledgment of a critical system you depend on, which prompts the question: what is my backup plan if it fails? Are you grateful for a neighbor who once helped you with a small task? That is an acknowledgment of a community bond, a resource of trust that can be strengthened. Are you grateful for a skill you possess, something you know how to do with your own two hands? That is an acknowledgment of your own capability, a foundation of true self-reliance.

This is not about ignoring problems. It is about seeing the whole picture. The person who can clearly see both the threats and the resources is the one who can navigate a crisis. The person who only sees threats is already defeated.

The Resilience of an Appreciative Mind

Think of the most resilient people you know. Are they the ones who complain the most, who see only darkness and despair? Or are they the ones who, even in the face of hardship, can find something to appreciate, something to work with, something to build upon?

Gratitude builds mental and emotional resilience. It trains your mind to look for solutions instead of dwelling on problems. It rewires your thinking from “I don’t have enough” to “What can I do with what I have?” This is the very essence of the survival mindset. It is the mindset of the castaway who sees a broken ship not as a tragedy, but as a treasure trove of materials. It is the mindset of the homesteader who sees a failed crop not as a disaster, but as a lesson in soil science for the next season.

This Thanksgiving, I challenge you to look at your gathering not just as a meal, but as a council of your most trusted allies. The relationships around that table are your single greatest asset. They are your first and last line of defense in any crisis. Acknowledging their value, expressing your appreciation, and investing in those bonds is the most important prep you can make.

A Simple Practice for a Thankful Season

This doesn’t need to be complicated. Here is a simple, practical exercise for the coming days:

1. Take a Resource Inventory: Walk through your home and your life. For every item or person you are grateful for, ask yourself two questions: “How can I protect it?” and “How can it help me and others in a time of need?” This turns a simple feeling into a dynamic preparedness plan.

2. Acknowledge a Skill: Identify one skill you possess that you are proud of. It could be anything from baking bread to changing a tire to simply being a good listener. Take a moment to appreciate it. Then, think of one person you could share that skill with. The sharing of skills is how a community becomes truly wealthy.

3. Express Your Appreciation Directly: Choose one person in your life who you rely on. Call them or speak to them face-to-face. Tell them, simply and directly, why you are grateful for them. Don’t just say “thanks for everything.” Be specific. “I’m grateful for your level-headedness in stressful times.” “I’m grateful for the way you always know how to make people laugh.” This act of acknowledgment strengthens the bonds that are the bedrock of our resilience.

True preparedness is not about building a fortress to hide from the world. It is about cultivating the strength, the skills, and the community to engage with the world, no matter what it throws at you. And that strength begins with the clear, honest, and powerful practice of gratitude.

This Thanksgiving, may you have a clear-eyed view of all that you possess, and the wisdom to build upon it.

Stay strong, and stay grateful.

— James Bender