Thanksgiving - Giving Thanks

So as another Thanksgiving has come and gone along with another Black Friday I am taking a few minutes to reflect. Anyone who knows me knows I hate that the American society is overly focus on consumerism. Black Friday is an obvious example and things seem to be worse the last couple of years as stores are opening earlier and earlier as people try to get great deals to reduce the impact on their pockets books. People at stores at midnight with their children pepper spraying others in the holiday spirit. It all makes me really sad.

The kids and I went to mass this weekend to celebrate the beginning of Advent in preparation for Christmas and the celebration of the coming of Jesus. While were there Father John told us a story about a group of nuns living together that all have some sort of physical limitation living in harmony and taking care of each other. His message was that if we were more aware we would see that God has given us all we need to be happy we just need to be open and willing to accept God's gifts.

Last week I got an email from Andy Andrews a motivational speaker that I have seen live and whose books I have read. He has an excerpt from one of his books at the link below. It is a story about Wade a minister who is struggling through a family Thanksgiving meal. He has found that he is preoccupied by all the things that wear him down and has lost site of the good things around him. Andy asks us to reflect and write down 10 things we are grateful for.

Andy Andrew's Short story about being thankful.

Things I am grateful for:
1) Having a new day presented to me with each sunrise where I can breath another breath and find the opportunity to learn and be a better person.

2) Having all my faculties, limbs, functions working for the most part, and the ability to listen to my body and manage my health.

3) Having two beautiful children and a husband who love me and support me through each day. Having time to spend/share with them each day.

4) Having a great job that challenges me and allows me enough to cover my family essentials.

5) Wonderful family members (parents, aunts/uncles, cousins, grandparents, brothers/sister) who I am close to, who accept me, and share thoughts and experiences with me.

6) Wonderful friends from around the country who treat me like family.

7) Living in the USA, in a safe and beautiful country that I love to explore nature and learn the history of.

8) Technology that lets me do my job, share my thoughts, hear from friends and family, and experience new things.

9) Hobbies that help me wind down, create, learn and share.

10) The ability to set goals, challenge myself, and achieve my goal as well as the desire to keep building and learning and striving towards my goals.

So with that I ask you to think about your blessings, what are you thank you for... that doesn't mean that the things that bring you down are not real, but I put forth to you that it is possible to realize these things and then let them go so they don't damage your health or relationships. Focus on the good positive things in your life and spend your energy nurturing those things instead.

Thank you for being a part of my life.