Greetings!

I tell this to people often: Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. My brother thinks I feel that way because of the long weekend, but that's not really why. It's my favorite holiday, in part, because it marks the beginning of the winter Holiday Season. But it's mostly my favorite Holiday because it was simply established to give people time to reflect and give thanks.

As holidays go, this one is very simple. There is no prescribed way to celebrate — people can choose to reflect on their blessings, to visit family and/or friends, to give thanks, to watch football, to prepare a huge meal, to eat a huge meal. People can choose.

There is an old song that I love entitled "Simple Gifts." Its message is that simplicity is a virtue to be valued, and, as I attempted to begin my Christmas shopping last weekend and found myself getting caught up in a mass of humanity at a shopping mall, I needed to be reminded.

During these busy times in our lives, three words — simplicity, clarity, and priority — hold the secret to a more fulfilling holiday season at work and at home. We must be able to clarify, in the simplest terms, our purpose each day at work (and in our home), and then be able to prioritize the tasks to help us accomplish our purpose. Unless we can do so, we may always be searching for satisfaction and/or fulfillment.

And that's my wish for each of you this Holiday Season — that you find the "gifts" of simplicity, clarity, and priority, and put them to work in your lives. Doing so will definitely help to make the spirits bright!

Have a safe, wonderful Holiday weekend!
Don