Today in America, we celebrate Thanksgiving.
Maybe you love it because you’ll sit on the couch all day watching football, or stuff yourself full of yummy foods, or get a game plan for Black Friday shopping or spend time with family.
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Regardless of what you like best about today, it is a great reminder of the choice we get each and every day – our choice to be thankful.
Every fourth Thursday of November, Americans are reminded in some form or fashion that an attitude of gratitude is a choice. That this mentality of graciousness when put into action can make the world a better place.
We don’t have to limit our thankfulness to just this day. We all need reminders from time to time and thanksgiving is a great reminder.
You see it’s not happy people who are thankful, but rather thankful people who are happy. Truly joyful people don’t wait for things to happen to them. They don’t wait for a certain feeling to occur. They don’t wait for the circumstances to be just right in their lives.
Joyful people have an attitude of gratitude. They count their blessings. They also try to be a blessing to others.
Don’t be distracted by negatives. Instead of getting distracted by negativity, focus on the positives in your life.
Staff Sergeant Joey Johnson lost both of his legs in Afghanistan. People ask him how he stays so positive despite having no legs and he often wonders how some of those same people can be so negative when they have both of their legs.
It’s about perspective. Positivity and negativity are both choices. We are often as happy as we choose to be.
There is an adage that says, I complained because I had no shoes until I met a person that had no feet. So, today have a thankful spirit and count your blessings.
And tomorrow, when the actual day has become a thing of the past, continue to have an attitude of gratitude, remembering that it isn’t happy people who are thankful but rather thankful people who are happy.