7 Things To Be Thankful For in 2010

Thanksgiving is probably my favorite holiday. Not probably, Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Though I believe that all of our holidays have been overly commercialized, and most people have forgotten the true meaning of our holidays, it’s harder for people to forget what Thanksgiving is all about because it’s right there in the name (Thanks – Giving). It’s hard to forget the meaning of a holiday when the meaning is in the name we commonly use. I like Christmas, and all the others, obviously, but there’s something special about Thanksgiving.

Studies (I don’t know which ones, and I don’t have a link to share to them, you’ll just have to trust me) have shown that people that maintain a mindset geared to being appreciative of what they have in life tend to have more of the things that the majority of people consider the staples of happiness (things like love, happiness, money, food, shelter, etc). Thanksgiving gives us an awesome opportunity in that we can help ourselves by caring about everything besides ourselves.

When we take the time to be thankful for the things we already do have in this life, it makes it a lot easier to get the other things that we want to have. So whether you are in a time of struggle and strife, or a time of happiness and joy in your life, there is always something to say “thanks” about. You just have to take a moment and think about what it is.

In 2010, I’m thankful for:

1. My amazing wife. Without her, I’d be some shlub still meandering through this life without a clear purpose.
2. My awesome son. Having Caden in my life is truly a blessing beyond anything I could have ever imagined.
3. My in-laws. I’m one of the lucky people that actually enjoys hanging out with my in-laws (all of them).
4. My job. I get to do some pretty amazing things for my clients, and I get to enjoy my own freedoms while I’m doing them. I guess it really doesn’t feel like a job.
5. My health. I’ve been blessed with awesome health, and since Lynne has helped me focus on living even healthier, I feel even more awesome!
6. My dogs. Soxy and Raider are the coolest. Yeah, that’s right, my dogs are cooler than your dogs (I’m admittedly a little biased).
7. My life. Being alive really is something to be thankful for. Regardless of the reasons why we’re here, and regardless of your personal beliefs about God, being alive is one of the greatest things I can imagine. What a truly awesome experience to be on this earth with 6.7 billion other people. If nothing else, everyone should be thankful about simply being alive to experience a life on this earth – no matter how seemingly trivial it may seem right now.

It’s 2010, what are you thankful for? If you’re having trouble thinking of things to be thankful for, do a Google search for “things to be thankful for” without the quotes and you’ll get some ideas to get you started.