Thankfulness: The Game-Changer
Some might think it’s easy to be thankful this time of year. There is delicious food, magical sights, holiday parties, days off work. The list goes on. But maybe you don’t have any of that to enjoy. Choose to be thankful anyway. No matter what is going wrong, my guess is you have something or some things going very right. Do you have food and shelter? Those are two big items right there.
Two blessings I’ve been particularly thankful for this year are friends who provide a safe place to grow in my gifting/strengths and their encouragement to pursue my dreams. As Walt Disney said, “All of our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them.” You will be reading more about that in an upcoming post. For now, a special thanks to Matt and Blair for their leadership and business expertise. Thanks, too, to Ray, who has helped me get free from some limiting beliefs so that I am freer than ever to go after my dreams and to help you with yours!
What do you have to be thankful for?
Thankfulness is a game-changer. Writing down what you are thankful for is particularly powerful. My outlook changes dramatically when I do that. Give it a try!
My Parents and Me
Here is my list of things I am thankful for, related to my dreams, along with some questions to get you thinking:
1. My God, my friend - Have you made Him your friend?
2. My parents - What things have your parents done for you that you take for granted?
3. My extended family and close friends - Who do you allow in your inner circle? Why?
4. My pastors and mentors - Who can provide you with unbiased counsel and opinions?
5. My elder and younger friends - Who can you take lessons from and to whom can you show the way? Also, keep in mind, people are watching you. Have you asked them what they see? Don’t assume.
6. My buddies and female friends - Who is helping you become a better man or lady?
7. My longtime friends and new friends - I'm living in an environment that attracts people from all over the world. Interacting with different cultures makes me come alive unlike anything else. What’s more, no matter where I go from here, I’ll always have friends all over the world. How cool is that?! Who is someone you should befriend? At the same time, few things are better than striking up a conversation with an old friend. Which old friend have you called lately?
8. Doubters - We all have had people say there’s no way we would succeed with something, only to prove them wrong. Who is a doubter you have disproved?
9. People who have made mistakes - I’m a firm believer that you can learn something from everyone. That may mean that you do what they didn’t do or vice versa. Of course, you may fall into this category at one time or another. That’s OK. Let someone take a positive away from your negative.
10. Freedom - I am thankful to live in the USA. What’s more, lately I have experienced new-found freedom - freedom to be fully me, freedom to take more risks, freedom to not have all the answers along the way, freedom to try new things - What freedoms are you thankful for? What freedoms do you take for granted?
At this point, I think you get the idea. It takes other people to make a dream a reality. Who did I forget on my list? What does yours look like? Have a wonderful Thanksgiving. Thank you, Sam’s Dream Blog readers!