Most of the notices we are seeing now remind us to be thankful for all that we have and certainly we do have great abundance. A frequent saying I have been using lately is a reminder that most of my problems are definitely “first world problems.” Waiting in long lines to make purchases, an order not arriving on time, not being able to find that extra pair of glasses, etc.
These should always be my biggest problems…. There is so very much to be thankful for.
Just the thought of being thankful, implies that I recognize that something bigger than me may be helping to reinforce the goodness in my life. After moving this week (the week before Thanksgiving when numerous guests were coming in) I have been on a mission to get all boxes unpacked, all pictures hung, and for everything to be as settled as possible.
Feeling an obligation to my patients and clients as well, I wanted to serve them as best as I could. Wouldn’t you know it? On their own several of my clients rescheduled this week or to a day when I needed a break to breath from the unpacking. I just looked up and said “Thank you.”
I have always been blessed and watched over, as I believe we all have been. The hard part can be in recognizing that. When most in need, someone always seems to have our back, accepting or seeing that help can be the hard part because frequently it doesn’t look like what we had envisioned. We didn’t get the job we wanted, however if we are willing to see it, a better one showed up where we were a better fit, or for more money, etc.
The next big step is in recognizing the future we have the option to create. Can you be thankful for the natural turn of events that take place in life that may leave you missing what was, yet open to creating something so perfect for right now? Can you be thankful for the fact your child is old enough to go to school? To graduate high school? To graduate college? Or that your client has moved on leaving you open to a more exciting, challenging, and growth producing experience with another?
Leaving the past (and even the current) situations can be scary, challenging, and even daunting yet it always leaves us with the option of a fresh start to a new future that we can thankfully create. We do that by being actively involved in visualizing what we want next, whether “next” is what we want or not. It’s ours.
Being thankful, always, for the many opportunities that show up, that call us to grow, expand, and become more of who we are meant to be is a gift we give ourselves. It is an acceptance of the change that is constant in life, and always blessing us with the opportunity for new experiences and new adventures even if scary and/or daunting. We do and become so much more than we ever realized. That is a Thanksgiving to be so very grateful for. And as a friend, my brother-in-law, used to say, “Every day above ground is a good day.” And every day is a day for Thanksgiving, for all that we are called and able to create and experience along this glorious journey.
