The attitude of thanksgiving

Passing around the attitude of thanksgiving should be something we all endeavor to do. The world would be a better place if only we could take time to practice thanksgiving. Psychologists are now advising us that aggressed persons eventually become aggressors. In other words, the terrorists we all hate and dread ended up as terrorists because they felt unappreciated. Yes. Thanks giving will make this world a safer place for us. So lets all practice giving thanks and achieve world-peace without using any army.

And I know- there are sometimes when the last thing you can think of doing is giving thanks. Sometimes life deals us unfair blows right, left and center. Sometimes we toil with the strength of an elephant but we get the reward of an ant- peanuts for so much effort. Sometimes adversity waits until it has gathered enough companions before they come knocking on your door. But I have come to learn that whatever happens in this life, you can still choose to maintain an attitude of thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving is an attitude. We choose whether to have it or not. We chose whether to spread it or not. And if we choose to spread it, it will keep coming back to us. Whatever you go through in life, you can still be thankful. Let me share a short story with you (I don’t remember where I read it)

There was this man who was travelling to a certain place. On the way there, he got involved in an accident. The accident cost him his right arm. Speaking from his hospital bed to journalists, he said,

“I thank God that even though I lost my right arm, I still have my left one”

Everybody else was complaining but he chose to embrace an attitude of thanksgiving. After the guy got discharged from the hospital, he continued with his journey. Again, he got involved in an accident and this time, he lost the other remaining arm. Now that looks like a good reason to lose the attitude of thanksgiving right? Well, not for this guy. He said

“Thank God that even though I lost both of my arms, I still have my feet.”

Wow! What an attitude- maintaining an attitude of positivity no matter the adversity. As the story goes, the guy later on continued with his journey and he got yet another accident. This time he lost his left foot. Now that’s a good reason to curse God or fate and give up on life. But that is not what he did. He said

“Thank God that even though I lost both of my arms and my left foot, I still have my right foot”

As fate would have it, the guy continued with his journey and got another accident and this time he lost his only remaining hope for locomotion- his right foot. What did he think of that? This is what he said,

“Thank God that even though I lost both arms and both feet, I dint lose my life.”

The moral of the story is, don’t let your circumstances dictate your attitude. Maintain an attitude of thanksgiving even in the midst of adversity. The greatest philosopher that ever walked planet earth (that would be Jesus) said “man was made for Sabbath and Sabbath was not made for man” If you asked me to paraphrase that I would say man was not born to be a victim of his circumstances. Don’t allow your circumstances to control you. Let’s list some ten reasons you can be thankful for today.

1. Be thankful for your wife and the magical closet she made. Each time you open it, there is a clean shirt
2. Be thankful for your pet. Always loves you unconditionally no matter what.
3. Be thankful for your pillow. Always ready to absorb your tears without complaining
4. Be thankful that even though you don’t have a job at least you afforded to get through college. So many couldn’t afford it.
5. Be thankful that you are alive. Am sure you know of someone that wasn’t so lucky
6. Be thankful for hubpages- where else can you get such a friendly online community?
7. Be thankful for your friends. Some of them are impossible, some of them are nagging, some have annoying habits, some of them really get on your nerves, but believe me, having friends that care about you is a miracle
8. Be thankful for the guys who do cleaning at your office. Imagine just one week without them…
9. Be thankful for your parents. You probably dint have a very good relationship when growing up but like a wise man said, you never know your parents are right until you have your own teenagers who think you are wrong
10. Be thankful that even though you wont be having turkey, you are not going hungry- trust me so many people are not only going hungry today but some are even dying of starvation

Now that I have set the ball rolling, tell me what else you will be thankful for this holiday…