Grateful for What We Have

Every holiday season we’re bombarded with ads showing us all the wonderful things we don’t have. It may be a shiny new car, a slick new mortgage refi or a pearly white smile. Whatever the product, advertisers are sure to remind us how much better our lives would be if we just had ‘Product X.’ 

But what about the blessings we already have? Aren’t they worth something? In many ways that’s the true heart of Thanksgiving.

As a quick exercise, take a look at your life and think of five things you’re grateful for. It could be your house or your job, for example. It could be your education or even that specially signed, limited edition comic book. For most of us, our relationships with other people form the basis of our happiness. Think about your friends and family and how they impact your life. Sure, sometimes they annoy and frustrate you, but chances are your life would be infinitely less rich without them in it, even Uncle Barney with his pointless stories or Sally, the sister who always manages to find a way to get under your skin. 

We’ll still have our troubles and our strife, but in many ways, we’re almost all a lot more blessed than we realize at first. When we’re focused on what we have, rather than worrying endlessly about what we don’t have, it brings a sort of inner peace. The world seems just a little bit brighter, and we can really appreciate what makes the holidays truly special.

Have a blessed Thanksgiving.