What am I most thankful for?

When we suffer through a difficult time we often find it hard to stay focused on those things we are and should be most thankful for. This isn't because we have a negative way of looking at life but instead is because our daily activities are forever faced with the challenges of what is going on in our life. This can change our perception on life in general and on those things around us which are true blessings.

It takes a conscious effort to look at those things around us which are wonderful and to perceive our life as a blessing. It also takes a conscious effort on our part to view deep within ourselves to locate the true meaning of life to us and to come to terms with those blessings which have been bestowed upon us. This ability to see deep within ourselves doesn't come natural to everyone and can be more or less difficult depending on the individual. However, each of us can learn this ability and find in our hearts the will to love life and be thankful for each new day.

How? You ask. Well of course this also is dependent on the person and their dedication to locating the blessings. Sometimes a person may be going through the stages of grief associated with a difficult period in their life and adapting to the new course their life has taken. Those people may not be at a point in their life where they are ready to dig deep within and locate the positive aspects of their life. This is ok and they should give themselves time to work through whatever issues that are important to them right now. They will reach this point eventually.

For those who are ready to delve into their inner thoughts and learn their true blessings then it can be somewhat easier to accomplish. Each persons view of a blessing can be very different. The ole saying "one man's trash is another man's treasure" in some ways applies here. One person may view a situation as a terrible event in their life while another person may be able to see through the terrible part and see a true blessing that they obtained as a result". So each of us have to look at our own situation and try to make a conscious effort to look deep for what we've learned from it and how our life has been changed for the better as a result.

This is not to say that we should put blinders on to all the bad parts that our situation has given to our lives. Those are painful experiences and very real and we cannot simply ignore those. But it is a good idea to take a moment as often as possible and just dwell on good things and the wonderful moments of our life. This will give us the strength to face our day to day life. This will give us the will to move on and the courage to love life to spite having an illness.

At this point we will begin to see many things to be thankful for and push those things we are less thankful for toward the back of our minds. Looking forward, holding dear to our hearts those things in our life that we are most thankful for will bring us many blessings to enjoy as our life continues down the path it is meant to travel. So this year on Thanksgiving day I will focus deep on those things in my life that are wonderful and have such warm and deep meaning. They may not mean the same to someone else so rather than share my own personal things I'm most thankful for I'd like to encourage each of you to find a quiet location and spend a few moments in solitude thought and reflect on the things that mean happiness to you in your life and the things you feel you've learned along the way that has made you a better person. I hope that by doing this you will learn that you are a precious gift given to all who know and associate with you and others are very thankful for having known you.