Hi there, and Happy Thanksgiving!
If you’re not American, fret not for a holiday doesn’t have to be had for thanks to be given.
Speaking of which, I would like to say that I’m thankful and grateful for you. There would be no me without you, I wouldn’t be the same and as such I am ever so appreciative!
It’s no big surprise that gratitude is good for us. I would like to encourage you to also think of the things you’re grateful for this holiday season.
Sometimes, it can appear to be hard to find things to be grateful for when you look around the world but it doesn’t take much to sprout gratitude from within yourself.
One of the best methods that I use is to think of the things that haven’t happened to me.
I cannot remember the last time I physically tripped and fell; My dog Bacon hasn’t had to go to the vet, and hasn’t been hit by a car; I don’t have cancer; I haven’t been laid off; I have no idea what it’s like to live in a war zone.
A list like this could very easily go on forever for you to be infinitely grateful if you wanted.
In fact, it’s important to realize that if you currently have the freedom and free attention to read these words YOU are in an unusual situation, that is NOT the norm.
We must remember our privilege and keep it in check. We like to feel like what we have is the current standard of the world, again it is not. There are far more hungry suffering people with little to no access to any technology, let alone nutritious food and running water. Do not forget this, it is very easy to do so, it’s very easy to focus on our own problems and forget those of others. If you’re ever sad you don’t have any shoes, remember, there are people in the world without feet.
I’m not here to be a downer today, you don’t have to feel bad about having a good life, I’m just trying to help you feel gratitude and put your life and problems in perspective.
The majority of individuals in the world would instantly leap at the opportunity to trade places with you including all your problems if given the opportunity– their nightly prayers would be answered and they could very well be so satisfied that they would never ask for or complain about anything ever again knowing how worse it could be.
Today, at Thanksgiving, remember that everything around you is so special and valuable and perfect– it could easily be very different with yourself or any of your loved ones being passed or in the hospital. Always remember that anyone could be gone in an instant, including yourself. You may not be happy with your situation or the world’s situation, but imagine that you knew that you or one of your loved ones were going to die tomorrow– you only have the knowledge, you can’t tell anyone or change the situation and if you try it gets worse. Without any control over the situation, you would have no choice but to savor each and every moment knowing what comes next is unavoidable. This is a good mental exercise to get yourself living more in the present moment and appreciate it and those around you.
It is important to understand that anything in your situation could change in an instant, and, God forbid, that instant ever actually arrives– did you say everything you wanted to? Would you be happy about where you are in your life and what you did? Would you have any regrets? How would you feel about holding that grudge up until the very end with now no chance to ever remedy it?
Always say what you need to, always life your best life, take every opportunity, forgive and love easily.
You have the ability to be anything you like the instant you decide it. Remember that the Earth consists of over 8 billion people, the majority of which spend their nights wishing for a life like yours. A life without sickness/disease, oppression, bereavement; they wish for a healthy life with friends, hobbies/interests, freedom, and without tumult.
To have any of those things is lucky, please please realize how lucky you are. Over 150,000 people die each day (source), to not be included in that number, take a moment and realize how fortunate you are to live another day, to have another opportunity to see/feel the sun on your skin. You should do what any of those who die each day would do were they afforded one more day to live after they died– enjoy it.
Savor it and take great pleasure in it, otherwise it is wasted.
My list of thanks
Now in case of my untimely demise, I’m going to go ahead and list what I’m thankful for so that I don’t lose the opportunity. I’m going to be doing something unconventional in that I’m going to present many negative things that have happened to me that I’m thankful in order to demonstrate how easy it is to induce gratitude and that gratitude may be induced in every single situation that exists.
- I’m thankful for the death of my father when I was a baby. This taught me that life can disappear at a random instant for almost no reason and to live life to the fullest every day. This also taught me about perspectives.
- I’m thankful for my mother never really being able to get over that. This taught me to be strong and showed me the negative effects of attachments.
- I’m thankful for the kids in school bullying me. This taught me compassion, it also taught me to be ok with being alone. It also gave me the motivation to start physical activity.
- I’m thankful for when I’m corrected because that shows me respect and I get to learn better.
- I’m thankful for both of my parents having to go to work. This taught me to be ok with being alone.
- I’m thankful for growing up with asthma. It taught me patience and the value of oxygen.
- I’m thankful for needing glasses. It taught me that not everyone sees the same thing. This also taught me how to get around without being able to see and enhanced my other senses.
- I’m thankful for the times I’ve needed help. It showed me who my real friends are and inspired me to do the same.
- I’m thankful for hardly ever physically tripping.
- I’m thankful for being monetarily poor, it taught me not to over value physical things.
- I’m thankful for losing my way, that gives me the chance to be found.
- I’m thankful for hatred, it’s better than no feeling or being uncaring.
- I’m thankful for mirrors, sometimes you don’t realize you’ve got something on your face.
- I’m thankful for all of the people who never told me my fly was down, it shows me that people are too polite to day anything (although the most polite thing is to say something) or don’t want to admit that they glanced at that area.
- I’m thankful for being raised mainly by my mom because it helped me search out good male role models and I could have many.
- I’m thankful for dropping the shampoo/conditioner bottles on my toes in the shower so much. It grew me the reflex to always move my feet when I drop something (very helpful).
- I’m thankful for the poor, they teach me generosity.
- I’m thankful for getting cut off in traffic, it makes me a better driver.
- I’m thankful to long lines for teaching me patience.
- I’m thankful for the rainy/cloudy days because they help me to love the sun even more.
- I’m thankful for discord because without it we wouldn’t know harmony.
- I’m thankful for books/video games/movies/TV shows, because of them I’ve lived 1,000 lives.
- I’m thankful for the girlfriends who have broken up with me because they showed me that I wasn’t giving them what they needed/deserved.
- I’m grateful for my friends, I can be a bit abrasive before you get to know me, and all of those who have stuck around have been very gracious in giving me the benefit of the doubt.
- I’m thankful for COVID, I was able to spend a lot more time growing myself and this website would likely not be standing today without it.
- I’m thankful for standing on the edge of the roof of a building, it showed me I don’t have the courage to leave life because I love it so much.
- I’m thankful for the dark because it allows the light to shine.
- I’m thankful for my friends for keeping me straight and honest.
- I’m thankful for the unconditional love I’m given, that taught me how to give it to others.
- I’m thankful for fights because it shows me that those involved really care.
- I’m thankful for goodbyes, because they let us say hello.
- I’m thankful for my goofy dog, it taught me I need at least two kids so they can entertain each other.
- I’m thankful for my fender bender because it wasn’t a car crash.
- I’m thankful for unhealthy people, they provide me an example of what I don’t want to be.
- I’m thankful for social media, it made me love reality that much more.
- I’m thankful for rejections. They show me that I’m not going the right way or I need to do more work.
- I’m thankful for my childhood home’s squeaky floors, they taught me how to be light on my feet.
- I’m thankful for that time I broke my arm on a homemade wooden bike ramp. That showed me the importance of screws.
- I’m thankful for crappy public transportation because it taught me to leave early.
- I’m thankful for accidentally touching the hot stove, it taught me to check the knobs.
- I’m thankful for the bugs in my house, They show me that I need to clean or there’s a hole somewhere.
- I’m grateful for perspective because we can stand in different places, see different things, and both me right.
- I’m thankful for the government, they taught me we don’t need them and they don’t do a good job.
- I’m thankful for “bad” music, it’s really funny to play really “bad” music.
- I’m thankful for the deaths of soldiers, for without them we would have no freedom.
- I’m grateful for my indecision because it taught me to be decisive.
- I’m thankful for every failure, they give me the motivation to try harder.
- I’m thankful for being a human, because everything that’s been done in our history has been done by a human and if they can do it, I can do it.
- I’m thankful for when I’m wrong because one way or another I learn what’s right.
- I’m thankful for my enemies because that gives us the opportunity to become friends.
I’m thankful for every breath, every step, every instance I pass through in my life, no matter what they are.
Experience is a priceless gift, and it’s a two-fer because every experience is an opportunity to learn and gain knowledge.
Life is so beautiful, I am always in awe of even the most mundane thing. Your life can be this magical too if you choose to see it that way.
There is something positive in every single instance of something, every event, every happening. This may be hard to see, you may not want to see it and just wallow in the bad, but it is far more productive and valuable for you (I promise) to start training your mind’s eye to see the good in every situation.
Any and every single time something happens to you, it could be worse. If you don’t have shoes, be thankful in the fact that you have feet.
I wish you all the absolute best during your holidays and hope you make the most of it and I offer you my humble and sincere heartfelt gratitude for YOU being who you are– the world wouldn’t be the same without you.
I’m so fortunate and grateful to have you in my life~
Happy Thanksgiving,
FCP 🙃🦃🍂
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