November is a special month — not just because of pumpkin-flavored goodies, but because of something sweeter that we hold in our hearts: thankfulness. While you in the United States enjoy your Thanksgiving festivities, here are some TED Talks to watch to help conjure up gratitude and compassion.

Louie Schwartzberg: Nature. Beauty. Gratitude.
In the talk above, from TEDxSF 2011, cinematographer Louie Schwartzberg reveals striking glimpses of nature and insights into the gratitude we have for that beauty. Through the responses of both a young girl and an elderly man to our world’s wonder, this talk invokes the importance of opening our hearts to the many blessings that surround us.

Laura Trice suggests we all say thank you
Laura Trice, at TED2008, gives us a simple but powerful task: learn to say thank you. She urges us to use those that commonly used phrase to fix relationships and build stronger bonds of community.

Krista Tippett: Reconnecting with compassion
Krista Tippett has a message for us: it’s time to move beyond tolerance and towards compassion — our great unifier. In this striking talk from TEDPrize@UN 2010, Tippett reveals how we can use thankful eyes to see more compassionately.

Ed Gavagan: A story about knots and surgeons
In this striking talk from TEDMED 2012, Ed Gavagan gives a heartwrenching “thank you” to the surgeons who saved his life after he was stabbed on a New York City street.  Given just a 2% chance of survival following this life-threatening encounter, Gavagan has immense gratitude for surgical skill.