Family at Thanksgiving
Tomorrow will be Thanksgiving for us U.S. citizens. It’s the day we’re supposed to focus on being grateful for our many blessings in life, to express gratitude to God and to our loved ones for all the good things we have.
But if you choose to walk in an “attitude of gratitude” only one day a year, you are most likely sabotaging not only your health, but also your personal success. Complaining–whether in your head or out loud–and envying other people bring on negative emotions that depress the immune system and deplete your mineral reserves.
And you get what you focus on. So what happens when you’re constantly focused on what’s wrong with your life, or what you don’t have? Answer: your life doesn’t get any better. In fact, it may get worse.
I admit that I am just as guilty as the next person about whining and complaining about my life not being perfect. But I’ve determined that I am going to consciously change my thoughts and my speech so that I can more easily reach my goals. To that end, I’m going to begin this Thanksgiving holiday by changing what have been recent complaints into expressions of gratitude. Here I go:
- I’m thankful that although he still needs a diaper for nighttime, Benjamin gets every poop into the toilet.
- I’m thankful that because Jerry leaves the house to work every day, I get to stay home with Benjamin.
- I’m grateful that Benjamin has lungs healthy enough to scream, and legs strong enough to run away from me.
- I’m happy we live in a house that is a bit too big, so that the cats can escape from Benjamin.
- I’m happy that my husband doesn’t notice when the floors haven’t been swept for two weeks.
- I’m grateful for the world of blogging, where I can write to my heart’s content and be instantly published with no rejection letters.
- I’m thankful that our refrigerator is always so full of food that I have difficulty finding a place for the newly bought groceries every week.
- I’m thankful that Benjamin craves my and Jerry’s attention, a sign to me that he is sociable and bonded to his parents.
I could probably list more if I wanted to take the time, but right now, Benjamin is showing that he is sociable and bonded to his parents.
What complaints have you been carrying that you should turn into an expression of thankfulness?
