Be Thankful

A few years ago, almost every kid wanted a certain toy for Christmas. I spent over a month searching sales ads and discount codes to be able to afford it for my twins. On Christmas morning, seeing the excitement on the faces of my boys made every hour I spent scouring the internet worth it! Until they discovered the neighbor got the same toy plus several electronic games. Imagine my disappointment, “He got this AND that!”

Only moments before, my twins were thrilled with what they received. Now, they faced the harsh reality that someone else had more.

And it’s not just our kids who struggle with being thankful. It’s adults too. Have you ever felt discouraged because someone else has more published books, more articles accepted to magazines, or a better publishing contract? I know I have! It’s easy to fall into the discontentment pitfall when we focus on what we don’t have!

Thankfulness is a mindset; a choice to focus daily on what I have rather than what I’m lacking!

When you feel yourself slipping away from thankfulness, consider this:

• Americans spend on average $1 billion on turkeys, while 71% of the world lives on less than $10 a day.
• 85% of Americans will consume a turkey dinner this Thanksgiving, while 28% of children in developing countries are estimated to be underweight or have stunted growth.
• Americans will cook 45 million turkeys, while 1.6 billion people live without any electricity

It’s easy to get caught up in the trap of comparing ourselves to others and sometimes I need to hit the reset button. So, this Thanksgiving season, let us choose to focus on thankfulness and all that we’ve been given.

1. J. Lee Grady’s column “10 basic blessings you should be thankful for.” 2018. Read the full column at charismamag.com.
2. National Turkey Federation, American Farm Bureau Federation, Neilsen. https://www.finder.com/american-thanksgiving-turkey-spend

Photo by Priscilla DuPreez