In the west, Thanksgiving denotes a holiday, first and foremost, designed to promote the gathering of people in gratitude (historically, for the harvest).

And its roots are irrefutably religious. Have a look at the first four definitions above, all referencing the giving of thanks “especially to God”. Even though that religious foundation remains within what is now a more secular term, should we not still give thanks? Give thanks for the dinners we have, the friends, the family, the smiles and even for the holiday itself. I think so. But, more notably, should we not also give thanks in business?

I wonder sometimes if marketers give enough thanks. Do we pay it forward? Do we forget that without the consumers, without the businesses, we are nothing?

On this day, where we are meant to put our lives into perspective, maybe we can do the same for our businesses. And ultimately remember that we are only humans marketing to humans.

The bottom line often clouds this thought and its purity — but sometimes I like to abandon that cut-throat, business-minded thinking of mine for a more holistic, human-minded approach.

Maybe you can too. If only for a day, walk into work tomorrow and think of your consumers or employees or bosses and see them not as dollar signs contributing to one large number in the black but as human beings who deserve to be thanked.