Today is my birthday. It just so happens to be Thanksgiving day in Canada as well and I am grateful (pun intended) for this happy coincidence that took place 38 years ago and how it reminds me, every year, to refocus on aspects of life that matter the most to me. Today I will post a list of 10 areas of gratitude. I would encourage you to do the same. As you get into the habit of gratitude you will see success in every area of your life, guaranteed!
I am grateful for my partner in life. I am thankful that she has invested so much time and energy in me, has trusted me even when it is scary, and has encouraged me in my growth as a human being. She has courage, great strength, and consistently makes the choice to work toward our future while holding me accountable.
I am grateful for my daughter. I am thankful for her kind, generous spirit and I absolutely love the way she looks at me each morning when she first wakes up and how her eyes sparkle with anticipation and excitement for the new day.
I am grateful for my son. I am thankful for his empathetic heart for others and how he genuinely searches his heart for how to care for others in his life. I delight in the fact that at any given moment on any given day he is willing to snuggle with me and/or give me a needed hug because my love language is touch.
I am grateful for my work and occupation. I appreciate the freedom to enjoy each and every day and wake up with anticipation of what the day holds for me. Every day I have the opportunity to practice my two favorite activities on this planet: Learn and help others.
I am grateful for my friends. There are specifically a few very close friends I have that challenge me yet accept who I am in any given moment. I’m not sure these individuals fully understand how much they mean to me and I decide, right now, to let them know this week.
I am grateful for my country and the ability I have to grow in freedom and safety. I am thankful for the people who have engaged others, on a political level, to protect many of the people in t his country and that I have hope that this will continue to reach minority groups who have not always been protected by government and even now struggle with inequality.
I am grateful for my extended family. On both my wife’s side as well as my own we have quality people who I can communicate with if I am willing to make any effort myself. I am thankful that every one of my siblings has married someone of character and quality and that in larger extended family gatherings I can legitimately enjoy a conversation with any one of about 170 people and have difficulty finding any one person in that group I would rather avoid.
I am grateful for the fact that I can control my future. Whenever I am stuck there are multiple ways to grow and as I grow I am able to help others in their own journeys. I have a real choice to grow in the ways that match what I desire in life. This includes my education and the learning I have that allows me to see the world as one filled with opportunities that I can prepare for.
I am grateful for this past year that includes growth in some very specific areas including my day-to-day commitments to others who have paid me to help them grow as well as continuing to discover how best to use my time in ways that enrich others and fill my spirit consistently.
I am grateful for this coming year of surprise. I find so much enjoyment in discovering what my year has in store. While I don’t know all the details. I do know, for a fact, that I will be given multiple opportunities to grow as a human being and am excited to see what that means in the next 12 months.
I wish you blessings in any way they come into your life and the ability to recognize them as such. Have a wonderful Canadian Thanksgiving Day.
