6 Not-So-Traditional Things To Be Thankful For This Thanksgiving.

Can you believe it’s Thanksgiving already? Doing anything exciting?

I’m guessing you’re probably spending the holiday with family…eating, reminiscing and, hopefully, taking time to reflect on what you’re most thankful for this Thanksgiving holiday.

When we think about the things we’re most grateful for, it’s easy to think of the good stuff, right?

It’s easy to think of the obvious stuff, i.e., family, friends, etc.

But what about adding some of the following not-so-obvious items to your gratitude list?

I’m betting that, if you do, you may live a life filled with infinitely more peace and happiness.

6 Not-So-Traditional Things To Be Thankful For This Thanksgiving…

1: Your mistakes.

Let’s be honest, making mistakes isn’t fun. And it doesn’t always make us feel any better knowing we didn’t mean to make them. Be thankful for your mistakes, however, for how else would you do better if you didn’t make them?

Do this after every mistake you make…

1. Own up to your mistakes – no one likes a blamer.
2. Don’t complain; improve – what can you do better the next time so this doesn’t happen again?
3. Be kind, not critical – remind yourself that mistakes just mean you’re human like the rest of us.

2: Your adversities.

Oh, if only life could be smooth sailing all of the time. But, as we know, that’s not how life works (at least not for most of us!).

Yes, we can grow during the good times, but it’s through the tough times that we not only grow, but also develop something equally important – empathy.

So, be thankful for your adversities. They’re not fun, but they grow us in ways only adversities can.

Tweet this –> Lessons may not always come easy, but just be thankful they come.

3: Change.

Change can be hard, right? And, of course, I’m talking about the not-so-great changes. Good change? Bring it on!

But, whether good or bad, actually, change forces us to do (at least) one thing – grow.

So, while change might not make it to the top of your gratitude list, make sure it’s there. Because the more we can embrace change rather than fear it, the better we’ll fare.

4: Your imperfections.

You want to know why you should be thankful for your imperfections?

It’s simple.

Because they make you relatable.

And interesting.

And a work in progress like many of us…and being ‘in progress’ is better than not being here at all!

So, be thankful for your imperfections. And remember this…

There’s no need to be perfect – just be yourself. Really, that’s enough. {Tweet this!}

5: Your failures.

The cold hard truth is that not everything we do is going to be a success – and it shouldn’t be.

Because failure, like our adversities and mistakes, can be one of our greatest teachers.

And failure means we’re trying. And, if we “do” failure right, it means we’re also tweaking our efforts until we get them right.

The U.S. has some catching up to do with some other countries who truly embrace and view failure as one step closer to success, but we’re getting there.

Be thankful for your failures. And, remember, separate who you are from what you did – who you are is a pretty darn good person even though what you did may have failed.

6: The people who’ve hurt you.

As a child, I remember hanging out with a couple of friends named Cameron and Julie. Cameron was great, but Julie would always leave me out when the three of us played together.

Julie’s behavior was very hurtful, of course.

But it also contributed to my being the incredibly inclusive person I am today.

Be thankful for those people who hurt you, for, often, they help you grow into your best self.

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What else would you add to this list? Share with me in the comments below what your list of not-so-traditional-things-to-be-thankful-for-this-Thanksgiving is…

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 Happy Thanksgiving!

 

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