The holiday season evokes different emotions depending on how your life is going or has gone. For some, happiness is replaced with the stress of budgets being stretched and a cautiously optimistic view of family dynamics that are about to take place within your home. For others, each passing day provides another reason to wear your Santa hat and spread holiday cheer to anyone who crosses your path. Regardless of where you fall on the spectrum, I’d encourage you to consider a basis concept that’s perfectly suited for the week leading up to Thanksgiving.
Be thankful.
The older you get, the more experiences you have to look back on and learn from. My late thirties brought divorce, debt and newfound poverty that was expected but challenging nonetheless. The house I once shared with my now ex wife was a reflection of the choices I had made, stripped of basic comforts to reveal lives that had been uprooted and torn apart from one another.
It was depressing and yet, I was thankful. Thankful to have a roof over my head, food in the refrigerator and enough money to pay the debts that I owed. I knew this stage in life was temporary. I had lived with very little in the past, there was no reason to think I couldn’t do it again. Considering how others are born into poverty and aren’t able to rise above it for the entirety of their lives, the “hardship” I was facing paled in comparison.
By comparing my situation to those who are truly suffering, I was able to embrace a thankful mindset that still resonates today. Rather than being jealous of what my friends and neighbors have, I’m happy for them and attempt to wish for additional blessings in their life. I say “attempt” because jealousy tends to rear its ugly head more often than I’d like. Having initial pangs of jealousy would be considered normal in my mind. Holding on to that jealousy is what will strip you of happiness and fulfillment.
The next time you get into your car, take a deep breath and look around. Whether you own it, lease it or are borrowing it from a friend, the car is currently in your possession. Rather than walking or riding a bike to your destination, you have the ability to drive a car to get you there. You may have a strong dislike for the make, model or color. You may even hate it or want to buy something new; however, instead of living in a constant state of want, reverse your attitude to one of thankfulness.
The same can be said for just about anything in your life. Making your bed in the morning can be a tiresome chore or it can be embraced with a feeling of thanks. The fact you have working hands to make the bed in the first place is more than some can say. How about the fact you actually have a bed and a room with which to sleep in. The homeless families living on the streets of our major cities can only dream of what we may take for granted on a daisy basis.
It may sound ridiculous but approaching each day with thanks will change your perspective on even the smallest of things. Being a Christian, I personally thank God for all the gifts he provides to me everyday. You may not be a Christian or would rather provide thanks in some other way. Who you thank and why isn’t really the point, it’s the act of being thankful that will change your life for the better and provide some much needed perspective as we enter the holiday season.
As for pecan pie, I’m torn.
I’m equal parts thankful it exists and ungrateful at my lack of willpower to resist another slice.
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