At some point over the next day or so, you will think about what you are most thankful for this holiday season.  While this a good practice, sometimes we think more about what we don’t have or what we currently need. When we are struggling these feeling are natural, however, don’t let it turn you into the person that says” I don’t have anything to be thankful for this year”.  Even for those who don’t celebrate the holiday, there is ALWAYS a reason to be thankful.

When I hear people complain excessively, there is a quote that comes to mind:  “If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d grab our back.”  Life is unpredictable.  I believe that everything that we go through fits into one of the following categories: Good, Bad, or Ugly.  The good is just that, the good or positive things in our lives.  The bad is unpleasant, however, it is temporary.  Finally the ugly is life altering, and that kind of change is scary.  Here are a few reasons why we should be thankful for the good, the bad and the ugly:

-The Good:  The good give us a reason to smile.  Life isn’t all bad, good things can and do happen to us.  Be thankful for the smallest of blessings because in an instant it could be gone.  It always helps to remember the good things, those blessings no matter how small should never be taken for granted.  Many times people look for the good things to be “big” things, however waking up in the morning, having your health, having income, or having loved ones are daily good things we should always be thankful for.

-The Bad:  Along with the ups, life will have it’s downs.  If for nothing else, the bad things that happen to us give us a reason to appreciate the good things even more.  The bad things help keep us just a little bit uncomfortable, or a lot uncomfortable, but it keeps us balanced.  Bad things, in my opinion, are those temporary situations that create temporary feelings of sadness or anger.  The situation will end or somehow be resolved, and the feelings will pass, and we are OK again.  The bad makes way for us to enjoy the good times even more. 

-The Ugly:  Life sometimes makes us stop, slow down, or even change our direction.  I call these experiences  “The Ugly”.  These experiences aren’t ugly because they are bad, but because they scare us.  We are either afraid of what happens next, afraid to make a change, or just afraid of not knowing what to do.  Fear scares us.  Fear paralyzes us. Change isn’t always easy nor is it always welcome, but it is necessary.  Fear is an ugly thing, but the changes that come from the ugly experiences are often wonderful, even though it is not seen right away.  Anything that changes us for the better is something to be thankful for.    

To sum it up, be thankful for life, every part of it.  We can choose to be grateful for the good things.  We can choose to learn from the bad.  We can choose to grow and evolve from the ugly.  No matter how cliche it may seem, there is always something to be thankful for.  ALWAYS.   

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