Taking Time To Be Thankful

Thanksgiving is a season that I never want to let slip by.

Taking time to be thankful, during Thanksgiving, is one of the many “holidays” that really, we should be celebrating everyday.

Think about someone you know who is simply thankful. Thankful for the rain. Thankful for a good meal. Thankful for the simplest things in life. Is that thankfulness contagious? I know that when I am around people who live a humble and thankful life, it only influences me to do the same.

Yet I think that the very place that I live, in America, it is so easy to succumb to everything but. To dive into the mentality that consumerism is the answer. That having the latest and greatest is the easy way to contentment. That always looking at other’s lives, is the way to know whether or not we are “on par”. All these ways though, only lead to a life of greed and discontentment.

Since starting this blog – organizing life with LESS, I realized that I have never been more content. Have I arrived at contentment? By all means, no. But in getting rid of possessions I do not need or use, I have found that I am MORE thankful for what I do have, even though we have less. I have learned to appreciate what I have been given and to be a steward of the very things that are in my home. Things that I now know I have because there is a home for most things and most things in our home, we use.

What would it take for you to lead a more thankful life? To wake up in the morning and go to bed at night, with contentment?

For me, this is what makes a difference:

1. Taking time to think about what I own. It is easy to fill our shelves, closets, and floor space with stuff. But as those nooks and crannies get filled, are they things I am thankful for? I want to own things that I appreciate and can genuinely say that I am thankful for.

2, Valuing what I do have. Especially with Black Friday lurking, it is easy to be discontent with what you already own. As you walk through various stores, what stops you from buying something? The items you already own, are you satisfied? Do you value them? Value what you already own – NOT what you don’t own.

3. Take time to reflect. Think each and everyday, what you are thankful for. As you are driving down the road. As you walk the aisles of the grocery store. As you sit at your work desk. As you clean up a mess from your kids. As you lay in bed at night. Take time to look back on the moment or day and think about what you are thankful for. This allows time to not pass without acknowledging life and also helps me personally, to not take life for granted and the blessings I have been given.

4. Talk to others. Sit down over a cup of coffee (or your preferred hot drink) and talk with a friend or family member about what you are thankful for. You may be surprised at the inspiration that flows out of those conversations!

5. For me, this is where my faith comes in. When I think about what I am thankful for, I can’t help but thank God, the One who blessed me with all that I have, in the first place. The One who has given me the opportunity to be a steward of the gifts He has given me. And even though in our past, we have had to give up many things (including two children in heaven), but if it wasn’t for losing them, we wouldn’t understand the depth and beauty of our little girl to be born in March! You see, it was through loss, that we realized the gain. This is where faith in believing that God will grant us all that we need, is essential in my life. Believing that even though a day may not go as planned, there is still room to be thankful.

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