When I first started writing for another publication it was all very formal. They sent a photographer to take head shots. They expected me to submit columns in a certain timeframe. They dictated how many words each column should be and then an editor looked everything over to make sure it was OK. I was in kind of a “there was a lot they didn’t tell me when I signed on” mood when they told me I need to come up with a name for my column.

I replied, “Lighten Up!” They took it and that’s what my column was called.

We all could stand to lighten up. Thanksgiving is right around the corner and many folks are stressing about this or that. Many are wondering if they should shop on Thanksgiving or not. Others are worried about all the company they’re expecting and how the day will go.

All that sort of defeats the purpose of a day called Thanksgiving. It’s more than the holiday in between Halloween and Christmas. And don’t get me started on how the English took advantage of the Native Americans. We would all be much better off if we were more thankful for what we have and less critical of what we don’t have, or the things others don’t have.

Don’t get me wrong. I have a great deal of empathy for those less fortunate, but I can’t save the world. People seem to go from one cause to another and complain that not enough is being done, while they are not doing very much themselves beyond complaining that things are not getting done.

Regardless of the situation that each of us is in, we have a lot to be thankful for, and most of time, we overlook it. Sure, you can find the negative in any situation, but you can also find way more positive things.

Suppose your car broke down. That’s a negative, but the fact that you have a car is a positive and the fact that you know someone who can fix your car is another positive.

See, there are two positives to one negative, right there. It’s all about attitude and it’s so easy to go to the negative.

There’s a saying that goes like, “Be thankful for the things you have because no matter how bad things are, others have it more difficult than you.”

That is crap! You should not base your thankfulness on the struggles of others. Your thankfulness has nothing to do with anyone other than you.

There have been several things going around Facebook about a certain number of days of gratitude and you’re expected to list three or five things you’re thankful for every day for a week or a month or whatever.

That’s great, but it shouldn’t stop when the number of days has been met. I have a friend in Colorado — Kevin Kenebl — who every day declares how many days he has been on this earth and thanks God for that number of days. Today he’s at 18,239.

You may choose to thank someone else, but you should be as thankful as Kevin for the number of days you’ve been kicking around on this gig.

Thanksgiving, or giving thanks, should be something we all do more of. The first step is to lighten up. Yes, the world sucks. Either party you supported in the last election lost something, the environment is either being destroyed as you read this, or not.

The list goes on and on and it’s wonderful to have causes you believe in and want to support. If you go out there and go for it, be thankful for that, but if you just complain about everything that happens to you or goes wrong with the things you believe in and support, you’ll live a life of misery and miss so much good stuff.

So how about this Thanksgiving you start a tradition of being thankful every day for all you have. Don’t ask for anything more during the being thankful time. Just thank whomever you want.

If you would like to have some other stuff, there’s nothing wrong with that, but do the thankful thing first. If you’re not happy with what you have, it’s not likely you’ll get more, and why should you? Why should the universe deliver any good to someone who isn’t grateful for what they already have?

Happy Thanksgiving!