“The thankful receiver bears a plentiful harvest.” ~William Blake
“I am grateful for what I am and have. My thanksgiving is perpetual.” ~Henry David Thoreau
“Gratitude, like faith, is a muscle. The more you use it, the stronger it grows, and the more power you have to use it on your behalf. If you do not practice gratefulness, its benefaction will go unnoticed, and your capacity to draw on its gifts will be diminished. To be grateful is to find blessings in everything. This is the most powerful attitude to adopt, for there are blessings in everything.” ~Alan Cohen
Whenever I celebrate Thanksgiving, I think it is wonderful that we take the time to remind ourselves to give thanks for all of the blessings in our lives. Would it not be wonderful if we could do this on a regular basis?
With all the distractions in life that come in the form of loss, crisis, drama, upset, anger, (and, let’s face it, being overwhelmed and stressed), it can be challenging to remember there are always things to be thankful for, no matter how seemingly insignificant they may seem.
Let’s take a look at some of the things that we tend to forget to be thankful for on a daily basis:
- We live a free country, not a war-torn country where we are afraid for our lives every single day.
- We have an overabundance of food available to us.
- We have clothing—quite often more than we really need.
- We have a roof over our heads that we can call home.
- We have a medical system. Although it’s not perfect, it is still free.
- We have a social system designed to help the less fortunate. Again, it may not be perfect but it is there.
- We have opportunities not available to many in other countries, if we choose to take them.
- We have family and friends that care for us and are there for us.
- We have an education system that is available to everyone.
- We have an overabundance of knowledge right at our finger tips.
- We have freedom of speech, if and when we choose to speak up.
- We live in a democratic society, and are given the opportunity to have a say by voting.
I am sure for every one of the above items an argument or negative perspective could be made and quite possibly the argument could have some validity.
However, I choose to give thanks anyway. I choose to see the positive and fill my glass not just half full, but to fill it all the way.
May you find your own things to be grateful for in your life today.
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