On Appreciating: Life

So, I haven't posted here in a while, and I decided that since it's the Thanksgiving season, I really ought to think about how I can be grateful for the things that I have.  When I start to come up with a list of what it is I have to be thankful for, there seems to be a lot.  Then I remembered I was doing this thing, and felt, maybe I should share about being thankful.  I think thankfulness is definitely something that's pretty hard to come by sometimes, and that it's definitely something that doesn't come naturally.  It's something that I need to continually practice and that I am continually trying to practice.  I hope that these few things that I've learned help you out too.  Being thankful in general, I think, is the major way to appreciate life, to me, by appreciating something, you're saying, "I'm glad or thankful that this thing is here." I don't know that I'm an expert on appreciation, but I feel that life as a whole is something to be appreciated, and here are a few ways how.

First, start with the little things.  There are a lot of things that I tend to take for granted and honestly, if I stop and think about it, they're really quite a luxury.  In fact, a lot (most) of the things I have that I consider mine by right are really something of a privilege.  My family, my friends, my car, my home, etc... even little things down to "common courtesy" that people extend to me.  An exercise that I do daily that really helps me is to think of one thing to be thankful about, doesn't matter what it is, it doesn't have to be anything big, philosophical, or grandiose, but just a simple, "I'm grateful today for the phone call I had with my parents the other day."  Something like that, and then answer the simple question that naturally follows; why?

Another way is to know where things come from.  Gratitude doesn't really make much sense unless there's a someone or something to be grateful to.  Remembering to be thankful really entails remembering those who have given or done things for you.  Things mean a lot more if there's a name and face you can attach to them, that name and face being the source.  Of course there are intangibles, but ultimately, all of that comes back to God, who is the provider of all things.  While we ought to appreciate the gifts that are given to us, it's ultimately more important to appreciate the giver giving it.

Finally, one thing that I definitely have a hard time doing consistently, gratitude doesn't really mean a whole lot until it's expressed.  I know it's hard for me to say or express thanks to people except in kind of special circumstances.  It feels kind of awkward, but if we can step past that, by expressing gratitude, it really helps lift someone up.  It's really good to know that someone is grateful for something done for them, I like it when people thank me for something.  In the same way then, in being thankful, I need to show people I'm thankful to that I'm thankful.

Well, this is my little Thanksgiving spiel, sorry that I haven't posting with regularity to those that are following this.  Hope you guys all have a great and wonderful Thanksgiving.  Happy Thanksgiving!