Being Thankful for the Little Things … Sunday Musings
It’s easy to make lists of what we want and don’t have. It’s easy to drive around and look at bigger houses, better cars, nicer clothes, more jewelry, the newest cell phone and feel like we don’t have ‘enough.’
What is ‘enough’ for you? Think about it. How badly did you want that big screen TV? That new car? That new computer? Now that you have it and you’re used to it, do you find yourself wishing for another new toy?
We laugh at little kids who spend more time with the box the toy came in than with the toy they longed for. Have we outgrown that?
Look around you and be grateful for paved roads; for lighting; for indoor plumbing; for street lights; for a roof over your head; for the internet that allows us to communicate over thousands of miles instantly. Look around you at every single thing you take for granted and just say thanks for each little thing.
And, if you are pining away for something you can’t afford right now, how about doing this:
- Make a list of everything you own (your insurance company will thank me for this…)
- Make note of each item’s worth next to it.
- Take a long look at each item.
- Now say, “I’m grateful for [this TV set, this toaster, this car, this ATV, this watch, these clothes]“…you get the picture.
- Then, at the top of your list write: “Here are the things I want to own.”
- Feel good about your list! And pat yourself on the back: you got what you wanted!
We ARE little kids. We want what we can’t have because we think somehow it will make us happier. Not always the case (especially if we used credit to buy it.) But long term happiness doesn’t come in a package at the store. Happiness comes from achieving something great. It comes from doing something wonderful or overcoming a challenge successfully. It comes from friendships, sharing, being in the company of people you love and who love you. It’s different for each of us.
Make yourself happier by being more grateful for what you have, where you have it, how you have it, right now.
Enjoy the spirit of the holidays,
and enjoy Thursday, no matter where you are! As a cowboy friend of mine once said, “Every day above ground is a good one!”
Be nice to those relatives you don’t see so often. Don’t stuff yourself too much. And take a deep breath. It’s all good.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Beth
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Beth Terry is a Certified Speaking Professional and Trainer who travels the world conducting training programs and speaking to conventions and conferences. Her Topics: How to handle crazy times and difficult people – Overwhelm, Stress, Change, Difficult Customers, Difficult Employees, Difficult Bosses. Contact Beth for customized programs. [To avoid spambots, here's the address for you to type in: BethContact at BethTerry dot com]
Her books, Walking in a Crowd of Angels * and 101 Ways to Make Your Life Easier are Great Ways to get your loved ones motivated and inspired over the holidays and into the new year.
© 2007 Beth Terry Seminars, Inc
* Only 63 copies left of the First Edition of the Angels book. Second edition will be ready after the holidays.
Hey Chenty! Thanks for writing! I’m grateful you’re in my life, too. Happy Thanksgiving! Hope you had a great day!
Love,
Aunty Beth
Aloha Aunty Beth,
Happy Thanksgiving! Yes I’m thankful for the little things I usually take for granted. Thank you aunty beth for being in my life.
Love always,
chenty girl
Aloha Diane! thanks for writing. So glad you got a chance to visit the blog. I can just imagine the Ranch today. It smells so good in Kamuela right after the rains, with a slight cool wind blowing through the trees. Can’t wait to get back there. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Beth
aloha beth and Happy Thanksgiving!
your website is a good reminder to be thankful! I am looking out my office window at Parker Ranch after 6 months without rain and the pastures are turning green! we are thankful and it is a beautiful site!