Like many other teens, I have a tendency to get caught up in my own little world and lose sight of how lucky I have it, and why I have it so lucky. I plan on using this Thanksgiving as an opportunity to re-focus on the important things in life. So I challenge my fellow teens to join me in celebrating Turkey Day (or Tofurkey Day for you vegetarians) year-round by giving more than you get and not just saying 'thanks,' but showing it through actions.

Give some to get some - To hit the ground running (literally), 6 of my closest friends and I registered to run the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning. The race benefits the Sheltering Arms Senior Services. While at first my friends were reluctant to sacrifice extra sleep time, I convinced them that it was for a good cause. They would burn off the calories they would be acquiring from the pumpkin pie later in the day and we would all be running together - sharing in the physical pain during the race, and basking in the feeling of accomplishment at the finish line. There are plenty of other things you and your friends can do to help out and have fun. If you like to build things, perhaps Habitat for Humanity - an organization that helps build homes for low-income families - could be your calling. "At first, I was hesitant to give up my Saturday mornings to volunteer," Clear Lake High School Senior and fellow Turkey Trot participant Quentin Smith contends. "But once a few of my buddies and I got involved, we all had fun building the houses, making friends with the other volunteers and sharing in the pride of seeing a project through from start to finish. It has become part of my weekend routine." By donating a small amount of time and effort, you and your friends can have a lasting impact on others and create lasting memories.

Take advantage of what you have - Many teens I know are very fortunate and almost expect opportunities to be handed to them. They have forgotten what it means to create their own opportunities and have become lazy in and outside of school. In school, I see kids cheating or studying just to get the grade, instead of learning for the sake of knowledge.. Because we live in America, the land of opportunity, we should take advantage of our educational experience and use this time in high school to grow and equip ourselves with the basic knowledge and skills essential to success in college. "I used to not really care about what I was learning or why," Lamar Senior Jamie Englert says. "But after learning about kids in other parts of the world that don't even have the opportunity to get an education, I started to appreciate my education more and realized I should apply myself more by taking courses that challenge me." Teens can also take advantage of the generous financial aid and prolific amount of scholarships colleges in the states offer to make a higher educational accessible to anyone who proves they can thrive when challenged intellectually.

Don't make the story about you - Some people cast themselves as the main star in their life, with everyone else receiving only supporting roles. Living this way doesn't positively impact anyone's life except your own. Treat everyone else as if their story is just as important - if not more important - than yours. You can achieve this by being a listener first and a talker second, thinking about how your actions will affect others and not just yourself, branching out of your comfort zone to make others feel comfortable and inspiring people to realize their full potential. Safe School Ambassador Matt Sconiers says "being an active part of the student body as a Safe School Ambassador and football player has helped me make friends with many different kinds of kids from many different groups. I love meeting new people that I wouldn't usually think to hang out with. Each new person teaches me something new about myself."

There are many things you can do carry out the Thanksgiving spirit 12 months of the year. I know I will make a concerted effort to focus less on myself, and more on others. Whether it be sending a care package to a sibling in college, calling the grandparents just to say 'hi,' doing the dishes without your parents even asking, picking the shy kid as a lab partner at school, or finding a new organization to get involved with, there are plenty of little things that you can do to stay in the 'giving' spirit and show your thanks. November 27 isn't the only time you have the power to make someone's day, well, besides the turkey's