As we all start diggin’ into our Thanksgiving dinner and dancing to Frankie Beverly and Maze at the family get together, we want to share this wise message of gratitude and thanks that Denzel Washington shared with some young, aspiring actors a few months ago.  We thought his video was perfect for Thanksgiving because what Denzel is doing is giving back a piece of himself, after he has already gone through the phases of learning and earning. Now he’s in the return phase of his life and it’s inspiring to see how he returned his gift and his wisdom to these young people.

One thing Denzel told them was this: “I pray that you put your slippers way under your bed at night so that when you wake up in the morning you have to start on your knees to find them. And while you are down there, say ‘thank you.'”

He’s giving these young people a valuable lesson in humility, gratitude, the importance of being dedicated to their craft and to their spirituality. Check it out in the video below…

Denzel has been spending the last few years giving back to young people who are aspiring to achieve something greater. In May of this year (2015), he spoke to graduates at Dillard University (in New Orleans, La.) and told them never to get a big head, which is something his mother checked him about early in his career after he’d had some great success. Here’s what he told the D.U. students:

“Number one: Put God first. Put God first in everything you do. Everything you think you see in me.  Everything I’ve accomplished, everything thing you think I have – and I have a few things. Everything that I have is by the grace of God. Understand that. It’s a gift.”

“When I was young and started really making it as an actor, I came and talked to my mother and said, ‘Mom, did you think this was…