SecondAct Asks ... What Are You Grateful For?

As the holiday season arrives, SecondAct asked some people we've written about what they're grateful for this Thanksgiving and at this time in their lives.

Here's what they shared:

1. Jeff Yeager, author of The Ultimate Cheapskate's Road Map to True Riches.
"I'm thankful I'm still around. Good health means a lot. When I give really young people advice, it's, 'Take care of your health as best as you can.'The important stuff in your life doesn't involve money and shopping and price tags... Some things are more important than stuff. It sounds kind of obvious, but it's true. The older you get, the less any of this matters. Live in the moment. I value experience more than stuff."

2. Diana Nyad, 62-year-old long distance swimmer who made two attempts this year to swim 103 miles from Cuba to Key West.
"I'm not a religious person, but turning 60 threw me at once into a state of angst at the maddening, fleeting passing of our time and an elevated state of awe of the lives we live... Today, out there in the vast ocean, I am overcome by the beauty of the moment. The planet itself. My own emotions. The deep bonds with my crew on the boat. And the swimming experience mirrors my everyday life at this juncture as well. I'm on a natural high these days."

3. Marc Freedman, author of The Big Shift and founder of Civic Ventures.
"I am grateful for fall itself, and for Thanksgiving as the chance to celebrate it. There does seem to be something fitting about entering the third chapter of life as the third season of the year begins to take hold. I keep thinking of a quote from G. Stanley Hall, the father of American psychology, who remarked that human beings 'rarely come to anything like a masterly grip 'til the shadows begin to slant eastward.' I hope he's right!

"For me it's become much more of a family holiday, having had three children in my late 40s and early 50s. And, for me, that's probably the greatest source of gratitude of all."

4. Kathy L. Patrick, beauty salon owner, author and founder of the Pulpwood Queens Book Club.
"I am grateful that I am alive. I got pneumonia this summer and was down for the count for 10 days. I never realized that once you lose your health that nothing else matters except getting well. I feel so much better now, and I have new appreciation for everything. I am grateful, too, because my friends and family embraced me. Life is all about your relationships with others, not things, and man, do I love my family and friends big-time!"

5. Barbara Tobias, Colorado author and expert on frugal chic.
"As I have moved through my life, tossed and found, I found myself starting again at the age of 62. At 65, I started a whole new career. It's never been more exciting, never been more vibrant. I'm so thankful for losing my job and rising again to pursue my passion. And being able to do that for the second time in my life.

"I'm a believer that the universe is going to provide, but the universe is not going to do it for you. When you put yourself out there, amazing things happen."

6. Todd Aaron Jensen, author of On Gratitude.
"My yoga and meditation practice is very important to me. That neutral mind is not an easy place to find, but the looking is always worth the ride. To answer your question more concretely, when my life went kablooey a few years ago, I fell off a cliff and, thankfully, landed on a yoga mat. Learning how to breathe with awareness, how to cultivate compassion, how to truly listen, how to practice gratitude -- and these things are all connected -- were the greatest lessons and gifts received during this time."

7. Robyn Cole, Southern California markering director who retired at 56 to Panama.
"I'm grateful for my husband. He is open-minded and ready for adventure, if the adventure makes sense to him. It was this attitude that paved the way for our relocation to Panama -- a sense of openness to the world. Believe me, there's a whole wide world out there beyond Orange County, or California, or the United States -- all of which were extreme comfort zones for us... I am also grateful for my health. It sounds like an old person's mantra, but it is becoming more and more important as the years wage on. I am finally able to do anything I want with my days, and wouldn't it be ironic if sudden bad health preempted that newfound abundance of time?"

8. Kathy Allin, who left academia for a new career as a golf instructor. 
"I am grateful that I have had so many second chances, and that I have the ability to see when I have an opportunity to do something in a kinder, more insightful way. I'm not perfect. I try hard, but sometimes I just don't get it right. I pay attention to what happens, and if I have mistepped, I will try again to do better, without letting my ego get in the way.

Join the discussion: What are you grateful for at this time in your life? Please add your comments.