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Count your blessings

August 3rd, 2017 at 06:17 pm

A lot of friends recently keep complaining about their lives. Some really are in a difficult situation. But others I keep telling them to count their blessings.

Some blessings are financial. Some blessings are just life. I can't explain but I feel like often times we take for granted everything we have and don't appreciate even the smallest things.

A friend complained about not having enough money and being on a budget. I said at least you have enough to choose how to spend your money. Be happy that you can make choices.

Another friend is getting divorced. She began crying about how she's giving her children a terrible life and she's ruined their lives. That they have less than they used to. I told her to stop right there before we couldn't be friends. If she truly believes that having a single parent is a lesser life we couldn't talk anymore.

I love my mom and kiss the ground she walks on everyday for the life she gave me. I appreciate the fact I was raised with good values and morals. That she worked hard and no matter what she gave me the best life she could and I believe truly succeeded even without money. I feel my mom sacrificed so much and I understand and appreciate everything she did. And my friend needs to get over it. Yes divorce and single parenting is hard. But it's not a lesser life.

Another friend was complaining about how hard it is to pay off debt. I said appreciate that you are paying down debt. It would be worse to keep digging the hole deeper. Every dollar is another you don't owe. Yes it sucks and is slow but it's better than staying in debt. Look at the cup half full.

Another friend is panicking about buying a house. I said it'll happen. Everything happens for a reason. That have some faith.

Finally another friend we passed boxes onto, her husband quit his job and they aren't sure what they are doing except moving. I told her follow where they feel lead and it will unfold. That sometimes you are doing what you are meant to do. I really believe that.

All these people have a lot to be thankful for but to only focus on the negative is harder than realizing all the positives.

Sometimes I get stuck in that place but I slap my face and tell myself I have so much to be thankful for snap out of it. I have to always look at my awesome kids and husband, the health of our family, the lovely home, the nice weather, and that we are happy. I could easily write all the negative things happening like I haven't found a school for my DK2. I haven't settled on a contractor, when 3 haven't gotten back to me arrgh! I am spending an exorbitant amount of money right now. But instead I have to keep positive. I have a lot to be thankful for.

Are you a half empty or half full kind of person? Is it easier to complain or appreciate?

12 Responses to “Count your blessings”

  1. snafu Says:
    1501782980

    Several of my friends have made it a late evening ritual to write on a page titled Gratitude Journal. They note at least 3 items that caused joy like good weather/some with gardens praise rain, a phone call from a friend, just to chat...not ask for something, made dinner that everyone liked, one friend mentioned this AM her delight in picking up a RX from the pharmacy with a minimum of drama. [She is loyal to a specific pharmacy that muddles RX, does not have common pharma on hand, gets names wrong, regularly opens later than advertised on door...and more].

    I keep trying at the start of each new month but it turns into a menu planner after a few days.

    Have you noticed there is a different attitude, millennial's in particular seem to believe they are terribly self important, so much so that they feel free to stop, blocking the roadway, to search for something in their glove box or mid compartment while the rest of the traffic just waits. They are so rude in any que I'm left to wonder if they have heard of manners.

  2. ceejay74 Says:
    1501785239

    Mostly half full, I'd say. I'm incredibly aware of my blessings. But then I wonder if it's because things are going so well for me, or if I really am better able to focus on the positive vs. the negatives or challenges. Maybe I don't have as many challenges as others. But I think I kept a pretty good attitude during the debt-paydown process, which took several years and often made me feel constrained from things I'd like to be doing.

    I don't know though; I draw a lot of strength from my spouses. If things were going badly there I think I'd struggle to count other blessings.

    Interesting question, but I don't know if I have a black-or-white answer to it!

  3. creditcardfree Says:
    1501792867

    Great post, LAL. I'm a half full kind of person! But I have had times in my life where I complain more. It's usually when I'm in a stressful situation or several of them at a time.

  4. Laura Says:
    1501792946

    A cancer diagnosis really puts things in perspective. The rest of this is all nonsense.

  5. Out of the Dark Says:
    1501800613

    My glass is half full. I pray yours is as well!

  6. CB in the City Says:
    1501804600

    I sometimes get down, and see the glass half-empty, but it's always a temporary state, and I know it. I'm mostly a glass half-full person.

  7. MonkeyMama Says:
    1501811153

    Glass half full, all the way. I personally find it hard to take the small stuff for granted. I think it's somewhat genetic and somewhat life experiences. (I am mindful and thankful every day re: food, shelter, hot water, good relationships, etc.).

    Dealing with my husband's health issues, I mostly agree with Laura. Nothing else is really all that important. My husband had his annual MRI this week and it was particularly stressful as I tried to mentally prepare for all the worst case scenarios. I am relieved it was only good news, and I can just cherish his health, what's left of it, until the next roadblock or the next MRI in 12 months. Even that, I've always felt lucky that at least it's not our kids. Which is some of that half full mindset. That reminds me, a neighbor of ours had a small child who needed heart surgery. They were VERY glass half full. I could not even imagine. They just replied what they went through was "nothing" compared to some of the other families they met at the hospital. I think sometimes we just need a little perspective.

  8. LivingAlmostLarge Says:
    1501823139

    Exactly! The my DK1 was in the NICU but a BIG baby ate 7 lbs and almost 6 weeks early. I saw other 34 week babies and cried and thought I shouldn't be so thankful or happy but I was. I was so thankful and I prayed for those other moms whose babies looked so small and delicate and were so worried. To come that close to losing your child. To see them made everything else not matter.

    So after that I never worried. I didn't even worry about breastfeeding I was so happy to be home and with my baby. I was happy we left perhaps a bit early and ended up back in the NICU but I wasn't unfortunate like those who sat for weeks next to an incubator. I was so thankful.

    If you only look at the negative there is so much positive.

  9. Debt-free by Thir-ty Says:
    1501847301

    I'm really only half-full when I make a genuine effort to be or after the fact. Usually the negative feelings come first, and I have to remind myself that life could be worse. This actually just happened the other day. I left work late, and my commute was at least an hour. Since there was an accident on my normal road, I decided to take a different route. It was moving along and then stopped. I suddenly hear fire truck, ambulance, and cop sirens from all directions. The accident was on the stretch of road in front of me right past the light. They blocked the road, so I got into the left turn lane. I then had to wait 4 lights signals since cops held up traffic to let the cars in that stretch of road turn around and get out. I finally turned and got rerouted back on to the same road at the next light up where traffic was nonexistent.

    It was on that stretch of the drive that it finally occurred to me that I had not for a second even thought about the people involved in the accident or the fact that I could have been involved if I had left just minutes earlier. I said a quick thank you to the man above for not being involved in the accident and for the people that were involved.

    I'm trying to make it more of an ingrained process to recognize the positive, but for now, it's more of an afterthought or requires me to actually focus and think about finding the positive in order to see it.

  10. MonkeyMama Says:
    1501852223

    P.S. I wanted to clarify on the life experiences because my comment that it's "somewhat life experiences" that was vague. (I am used to people presuming nothing bad ever happens to us because we just roll with it). I wanted to clarify more the opposite. It's all the hardships that give us perspective.

  11. rob62521 Says:
    1501859894

    I think so many people would rather complain than be thankful for what they have.

    Like CB when I get down or overtired, I am a half empty, but usually I am half full.

    Good post!

  12. LivingAlmostLarge Says:
    1502081907

    Awhile ago probably more recently I realized how much I have. Before then I will admit I think I might have been a glass half empty person. Then I had to kick myself and say wow I have a lot to be grateful for.

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