Plenty of folks have never thought twice about what to do at Thanksgiving. They'll pile into the car and head to a relative's house, slurp down meat and pie with terrifying gusto, and call it a day. But what if this scenario isn't an option? Or, what if you just want to shake things up and celebrate a little differently this year? Believe it or not, you are not required by some sort of Federal Turkey Day Law to eat voluminous amounts of strange casseroles, nor to endure hours of your uncles' dinnertime political rants. Rather, you are perfectly entitled to claim the day for yourself—and do with it as you please!

Before you get all cynical and decide that "claiming the day for yourself" gives you license to skip Thanksgiving altogether, think again. We all have reasons to be thankful! I don't care if you're unemployed, overweight, and 3,000 miles from your family—you are blessed. On November 27th, take the time to really recognize those blessings.

Maybe that recognition will literally come on a mountaintop, as you're huffing and puffing through the crisp autumn air. Maybe you'll feel it in the gentle yogic stretch of child's pose. Or perhaps the gratitude will hit you as you ladle gravy onto the plate of a homeless six-year-old. Wherever you find it, savor it. And try to make it last all year.