Being Thankful for What You Have

Happy Sunday folks! So, I had this post scheduled for posting on Thursday. Obviously something went haywire with the scheduling and I find my post never actually posted. So....I apologize for the delay, but I want to share this post even though it's late. Better Late Than Never :-)

Enjoy the rest of your holiday weekend!!!

Happy Thanksgiving to all of my American friends and family!!! To my fellow Canadians...Happy Thursday!! (sorry kids, I'm off on vacay and that's all I could come up with {wink wink})

Yesterday I arrived safely in Nashville where I met my dad and we headed on out to my sister's place in Jackson, TN. We bought groceries, I had a quick hair appointment with my sis (have I ever told you how awesome it is to have a hairdresser in the family??), I met my nephew Bentley (cutest baby ever!!!!!) and spent time with my 4 year old neice, Reese AKA Reese-a-roni.

Today it's all about cooking, family and mapping out our Black Friday plans.

Life is good.

The only that would make it better was if Derek was here. Sadly he had to work and miss out on this little vacation of mine.  

Before I get into today's post, I just want to say thank you so much to Kelly for her guest post yesterday. She and I think so much alike and I loved her reminder that we should be grateful for all the wonderful things in our lives whether they be big or small.

Her post was a really great intro to what I wanted to chat about on this fabulous Thanksgiving morning.

Today I am thankful for many things......

• my hubby who had to stay home this weekend because he has to work
• my health and the fact that I am strong and able and independent
• my happy and healthy neices and nephews - our family is blessed with 4 awesome kiddos!!!
• all 4 of my grandparents who are healthy, able-bodied, awesome individuals
• my job - they're pretty hard to come by these days so I consider myself to be really lucky to have a steady and secure position where I work with lots of really, really great people
• my house and the fact that I am lucky enough to own it
• my dogs who give me unconditional love 100% of the time
• my country who provides me with safety and security and gives me the right to speak and think freely

So as you can see, I'm pretty freakin' lucky and I have alot to be grateful for. It has taken me a long time to actually see all the greatness that is my life. Today I am happy to say that I am PRESENT and AWARE and even though Derek & I have our share of hard times (like any of you out there I am sure), I am still able to appreciate what I DO have.

I used to be a person who had the bad habit of "wanting what I don't have." I still find myself longing for "more" but not constantly like I used to. My old way of thinking used to go something like this - "Sure I have a house, but I want a bigger house with a bigger yard; and yeah I have a decent job, but I want to a position that's more exciting where I can make a boatload of money"....you see where I'm going with this???? Now, don't get me wrong I think it's great to have dreams and goals and to work hard to achieve them, but that's not really what I was doing. I would constantly compare myself to others and wish that I had it as good as they did.  I had a bad case of "Keepin' Up with the Joneses."

Why is it so hard to really open our eyes and see the blessings that are laid out in front of us? Accepting the hand you've been dealt in life does not mean you are resigned to be unhappy and unfulfilled. What it means is that you stop wasting time thinking about what you don't have and start enjoying what you DO have.

Today, as we give thanks for our daily bread, I want to issue a challenge to each and every one of you.

I challenge you to LIVE IN THE MOMENT!!!

Stop worrying about what you don't have and focus on what you do have. You might be surprised at how many blessings are in your life right now and I promise you that you are going to find a lot more happiness in the things you can enjoy in the present rather than always waiting for that day in the future when you think you'll have what you want.

 

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Take a moment everyday for the next week and write down one thing that you are thankful for. Start making a list....let's call it our "I Am Thankful Journal".

 

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 After you jot down what you're thankful for, take a few minutes to reflect on how it makes your life what it is today.

What are you thankful right this very minute?

Have a Happy Thanksgiving/Thursday and enjoy the day!!

Andrea

PS - I AM THANKFUL FOR EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU WONDERFUL READERS!!! MY LIFE HAS TRULY BEEN TOUCHED BY EACH & EVERY ONE OF YOU xoxox 

Being Thankful

Howdy y'all. So it's Thanksgiving Eve (for all my American friends & family) and as you read this, I am probably high in the sky and bound for Nashville. Today you are in for an extra special treat....a guest post by Kelly, from Laughter, Strength and Food. She is one sweet chickie and I know you are going to love what she has to say. 

Hi Vegvacious readers!
My name is Kelly and I blog over at Laughter, Strength, and Food. I would like to thank Andrea for giving me the opportunity to write a guest post for her! She is a pretty awesome lady…which I’m sure you all know since you are here reading this!
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and it is truly one of my favorite times of the year. Aside from it being the official start of the holiday season (!!!), it is a holiday that has an amazing meaning that I think everyone can believe in and benefit from…
…and that is the meaning of being thankful.

I think that many times it becomes too easy to forget about all that we have and to be thankful for it each and every day. I know, first hand, how the chaos of life can sometimes act as a blinder and shield us from seeing the good that we have directly in front of us. I used to be one that usually had a pessimistic view no matter how much I told myself I had to be optimistic. A little over a year ago, I felt like I was in a bad place in my life. I had some personal things going on that I just didn’t know how to handle. Instead of using the good around me to bring me to a better place, I just focused on the bad and let myself believe that nothing was going to get better and that my life was at its worst point.
Sound a little dramatic? It was. I pushed away not only any positive thoughts I had, but also the positive people that I had in my life. Looking back, I can’t believe the way I let my negative emotions take over every aspect of my life. Thankfully, I had amazing people surrounding me who didn’t give up on me and refused to let me continue to be unhappy.
Am I thankful for those people?
Absolutely.Do I thank my lucky stars everyday that I have two supportive parents and an incredible boyfriend?
You better believe it.

It may sound cliché to be thankful for family and friends, however, I have learned that these key pieces of life can make all the difference in the world. More importantly, I‘ve re-learned how important it is to see the good in all every situation and to be thankful for those small things that make me smile everyday.
So, with that dramatic background into my life…let’s move on to the main point of what I want to share with you all!
Be thankful for everything you have…no matter how small it might seem.

Be thankful for your family, your parents, your friends, your significant others.
Be thankful for your job, your house, your car, your loving pets, the food you have on your table.
Be thankful for your favorite pair of comfy jeans, your old worn out slippers, your snuggly pajamas.
Be thankful for that workout you pushed yourself to complete.
Be thankful for your ability to laugh.
Be thankful for the ability to wake up and make each day the best it can be.

As we celebrate this Thanksgiving holiday, let’s think about all of the wonderful things in our lives that we can be thankful for and let’s carry those thoughts with us throughout the entire year. There is nothing more important that loving ourselves, loving others, and loving everything that makes us who we are.
I hope you all have a wonderful holiday!!
P.S. I am thankful for all of the delicious turkey, stuffing, and potatoes I’ll be eating tomorrow!!

Give Thanks

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Thanksgiving is a
time of gratitude to God,
our Creator and Provider,
whose guidance and care
go before us...
and whose love
is with us forever.

Thanksgiving is a time
to reflect on the changes,
to remember that we, too,
grow and change
from one season of life to another.

Thanksgiving is a time
of changing seasons,
when leaves turn golden
in Autumn's wake
and apples are crisp
in the first chill breezes of fall.

Let us remember the true meaning
of Thanksgiving.
As we see the beauty
of Autumn, let us acknowledge
the many blessings
which are ours...
let us think of our families
and friends..
and let us give thanks in our hearts. 

~Author Unknown
 

Happy Thanksgiving to all of my fellow Canadians!