Eddie Rickenbaker (1890-1973) was one of America's top fighter pilots during World War 1. But he is most remembered for his incredible survival at sea during World War 2. Rickenbacker and seven other passengers were aboard a plane that crashed into the Pacific Ocean because it had run out of fuel.

Everyone survived the crash and climbed into life rafts. But there wasn't much to eat or drink. On day three, they ran out of food entirely. On the eighth day, Rickenbacker reports that a seagull landed on his head. He grabbed the bird, wrung it's neck, and the men ate a small meal. They used the remains of the bird as bait to catch fish. For the next sixteen days (they were lost at sea for 24 days) they caught fish, ate fish, and used fish for bait to catch more fish. When they were rescued, Rickenbacker credited the seagull as the one that saved the lives of all the men.

Years later, an elderly Rickenbacker walks to a pier near his home. He carries a pail of shrimp. As he reaches the end of the pier, he throws handfuls of shrimp into the air where hundreds of seagulls circle overhead. He did this every Friday as a way to say thank you to the one seagull who gave its life so he could live his. He feels thankful, so he expresses his gratitude in the most tangible way he knows how.

I recently posted this on Twitter: Unexpressed gratitude comes across as ingratitude. That's why it's called Thanksgiving and not Thanksfeeling.

Every day is an opportunity to not only feel grateful, but to be grateful in the way we live – in our words and actions.

I've identified three ways we can tangibly express the gratitude we feel:

1) Give Away - This is about using our strengths and resources to benefit others with no expectation they will give anything back to us. It's a spirit of generosity that shows itself through generous acts. What do you have that you can give away to others?

2) Give To - The people who seem the happiest, most content, and energetic towards life all seem to have found something significant to give their lives. Is there a cause or purpose greater than yourself that you can give your life to?

3) Forgive - Often overlooked, yet forgiveness may be the most powerful form of giving. In a culture that celebrates revenge and retribution, forgiveness offers another way out. Forgiveness frees us from the bitterness, anger, and ill-will we hold against another. Who is someone you need to begin the journey of forgiveness with?

In this season of Thanksgiving, don't simply be a thanksfeeler. Rickenbacker walked to the pier every Friday to demonstrate his thankfulness. Express your gratitude today in tangible and visible actions.