November Gratitude and a Little Perspective: Week 1

November is here and that means Turkey day is coming! (Tofurkey for all you herbivores out there)

Given the holiday, I thought I'd take the opportunity to focus on 5 things each week that I'm grateful for throughout the month. For some terrible reason, I've found it's far more natural for humans to dwell on negative, fearful, or doubting thoughts, rather than focussing their attention on all the beautiful things happening in their lives at any given moment. 

Whenever I notice that my thoughts are taking a negative turn or when I catch myself complaining about an undesirable situation, I consciously choose to shift my attention toward gratitude instead.  

If making a trip to our hometown feels jam packed, rushed and anything but relaxing, I decide to, instead, notice how blessed we are to have so many wonderful and supportive friends and family to make time for. I realize that there are plenty of people in this world who would give anything to be in the company of loved ones because they live a life of solitude. 

When I find myself dreading my extra early wake up call to take the dogs on a walk in below-freezing temperatures, I think of how much I love my fur babies and remember that they deserve time to sniff around and stretch their legs before returning to a tiny apartment for the remainder of the day. 

Or, when I find myself complaining about these months away from our home and everything we know and love, I remind myself that my husband's company is not only surviving these tough economic times but thriving in the midst of them. We both have jobs and for that, I'm thankful.

No matter how big or small the experience at hand may be, perspective is a choice that we each get to make. 

So today, I'm grateful for:

-  a reliable car and a sturdy snow scraper during our most recent blizzard 

- a husband who surprised me with a gorgeous ring, simply for landing my job

- flannel sheets
- the ability to use my mind to change my world

-  the Daily Word which seems to speak directly to me when I'm in need of a boost


and so it is...