Grateful.

OK, so I’m very aware that this is the trending topic of the week, or even the month, so I write with an element of risk that this might be overlooked as just one more piece on Thanksgiving, one more list of things to be grateful for, or one more reminder of just how good we all have it.

And if I’m crafty enough, I’ll accomplish all three today.  :)

So let me start with a confession:  Rather than view the world with rose-colored glasses, I can tend to lean in the direction of being discontent with things in life.  Not so far as to become a sheer malcontent, mind you, but my thoughts can tend to hone in on the things that can be better; areas of my life (or others’) that can improve; or things about my surroundings that are out of place, out of line, or out of touch.

It’s part of what makes me who I am; for without noticing these things, I wouldn’t be equipped to cast a vision, run a business, or hold myself to high personal and ethical standards.

But if left unchecked, I can find myself potentially mired in a pit of misery.  At my core, I deeply desire perfection, and when I hold my ideals against real life’s imperfections, I can tend to get frustrated.  If I’m not careful, this frustration can spill over into my relationships with people, objects, and the world around me.

And so I have to be very careful not to compare.

If I compare my car with my neighbor’s, and theirs happens to be newer or nicer or faster, I find myself discontent with my own possession.

If I compare my house with the one on the other side of town with its big yard and beautiful view, I find myself suddenly dwelling on the limitations of the house I’ve been given to live in, and I miss the home that it is.

If I measure the people closest to me against a yardstick of perfection, they’re guaranteed to come up short, and those shortcomings can scream so loudly if I give them permission to take root in my psyche.

And so it’s these reminders of the season that I think can be so valuable for all of us.  I know they certainly are for me.

To offer a practical example:  I don’t allow myself to look at the Black Friday newspaper ads.

Whenever I have rifled through these in the past, all I can think about is how the television set I have at home is no good and needs replacing.  How if I just had a bigger one, I could enjoy my sports and shows all the more.  Or that if I took advantage of the December to Remember, I might have everything my heart longs for.

Looking at these ads, especially during the holiday season, invites me into a mindset of comparison, which I’ve never personally found to yield much positive fruit in terms of living a contented life.

And thanks to my own inner depravity, I don’t just need advertisements and commercials to slip into comparison mode; I can fall into that state with very little effort, seemingly on a minute’s notice.

And so to combat that, I’ll choose to focus on some of the things I’m genuinely grateful for:

·      A wife who loves me for who I am, flaws and all

·      A God who loves me even more than my wife

·      The three most incredible boys this world has seen

·      Family that raised me in a household of love

·      The physical ability to enjoy riding my bike

·      Living in a town that’s awesome for cycling

·      A job I truly enjoy getting up in the morning for

·      A team at work that is dedicated and amazing

·      The ability to taste and enjoy incredible flavors

·      Ears to appreciate good music

·      Rich friendships

·      Mountains and oceans

·      Vacation time with my family

·      Another breath

I’ll stop here, but I could easily fill pages and pages of “gratitude lists”.  The sad thing is, I would probably have to work a little harder at those lists than I would if I were to make a list of things I’m unhappy about.

Which underscores my need to focus on the gratitude items all the more.

And so I leave myself with the reminder each holiday season to slow down, breathe, and to deliberately focus on the things that really matter.  For the truth is, we all have so very much to be grateful for.

And for that I am eternally thankful.