Praying Mantis?
OK, so I needed something that started with 'P'...if you are into writing, I have an alliteration problem... I was afraid Sesame Street would yell at me if I titled it, Thanksgiving brought to you by the letter P. I hear Oscar can get pretty mean...
We love word games when we look at the creatures all around us, so wherever you are in life, I hope you can find small prayers of thanksgiving this season...and if you are into bugs, you can start by thanking the universe that he helps in your garden :-)
Below is a short list of reasons I am thankful this year. Hopefully you find it helpful in your life.
People
I have to admit that I am thankful for the people in my life, both in my family and at work. Make sure to reach out to those around you and show gratitude.
Places
My wife and I love to travel and experience new things. This past year we traveled to Eureka California on our motorcycles just to see a great museum filled with tools from the 1800’s. Sounds kind of weird, but people travel for all sorts of reasons and different places help us see the world in a different light.
Progress
Earl Nightingale was famous for saying that, Success is the progressive realization of a worthy goal or ideal. I know that my inner child feels like trying to succeed in life is like being a toddler in the back seat yelling, “Are we there yet?” It’s nice to take stock this time of year, slow down, and look at the progress my wife and I have made with our efforts.
Potential
On that same note, it is exciting to be thankful for potential opportunities down the road. Like being able to write blogs, such as this one, to encourage someone else in their journey. Together, we can make the world a better place.
Problems
When my wife and I were first married, we were renting a house, and due to a mistake on my part, it started to burn. All we could do was grab our babies and run next door to try and call the fire department. A couple of weeks earlier I finished a small story about Mother Teresa. Each week, her nuns were running into her office saying things like, “We have a problem! There’s no food!” “We have a problem! There’s a leak in the roof!” You get the idea. Finally, Mother Teresa stopped them and said, “From now on, every time you come in, you need to say We have a gift, and then state the challenging issue.” The sister telling the story didn’t say the problems went away. She said the attitude shift in finding solutions and going through the day with gratitude changed the entire order’s fledgling spirit after that declaration.
I remember, as we went running through the smoke, that night with our babies, screaming in my head, Thank you for this gift! Did I feel it, emotionally? Not at the moment. I was panicked. I did find, however, as we sifted through the rubble, that chanting that small substitution did change my life. Like the sisters, my problems did not go away, but the shift in attitude has been immensely helpful. I hope you find gratitude in all things.
Well, that’s it for the top five. Notice I didn’t mention possessions or my stunning personality although both may be stellar 😊 I wanted to leave that up to you because we are headed into Black Friday and the frenzy around materialism. I hope we can all take a breath, and remember to be thankful for the many facets of our life. Take care.