I have a lot to be thankful for … most of us do, even though the economy has wreaked havoc for so many people throughout the world. Times are tough for so very many. Illness, accidents, unemployment, violent weather/natural disasters, terrorism, political chaos … there’s so much to be depressed about.

I refuse to fall victim to these feelings. I want to be optimistic and have a positive outlook. I’ve been through tough times before and everything turned out okay. I will draw on past experiences and be encouraged. I recently read a book by Ann Voskamp called “One Thousand Gifts”. While I have never experienced the horrible life events that she shared, I was really inspired how she counted all her blessings ~ big and small ~ as a gift.

Since Thanksgiving is on the near horizon, I’ve decided to really pay attention and concentrate on all the blessings that I sort of take for granted; from big revelations to smaller, everyday types of things. Each day leading up to Thanksgiving, I hope to capture my thoughts and emotions regarding how truly blest I am. I hope to share these with you along my journey. I’d like to wake up this Thanksgiving Day truly knowing all the things I’m thankful for because I spent this time in reflection.

I would love to hear your feelings on this topic … please comment to share your thoughts and/or past experiences.