Being Thankful For What You Have

Everything in life happens for a reason. I firmly believe that. I know, I know, some people may disagree with me in favor of “the Almighty powers that be”, and that’s fine. But I am of the mindset that there is a reason for everything, that our lives are shaped by what happens to us everyday, so we can learn, grow, and become better people in this world.

And it took United Airlines to remind me of this.

Seven days ago, I started my journey that took me from Hong Kong, through Tokyo, San Francisco, Washington DC, and finally to Orlando, Florida. Along the way, my trip was hampered by a number of unforeseen setbacks.

My flight from DC to Savannah (my original final destination) was cancelled.
My new flight from DC to Orlando (the following day) was delayed twice.
My luggage (which I wasn’t allowed to retrieve in DC) was sent to Savannah instead of Orlando.

So with two extra shirts, one spare pair of underwear, and minimal toiletries in my carry-on, I somehow managed to make it to Orlando in one piece. United Airlines, though “apologetic” (more “scripted” than “heartfelt”) when I spoke to them several times on the phone, were not doing anything to help get my bags to me. The only things going through my head were “When am I getting my bag?!?! My new Diesel jeans were in that bag! I have no more contact lenses!” Throughout my first day at Disney World with my parents, my brother and his family, I couldn’t shake this irritated feeling of “United sucks (pardon my language…), and I am so going to let someone have it if I don’t get my bag back.”

As I returned to my room late in the afternoon to call United for the umpteenth time to try and locate my bag, I got a message from a very good friend asking me to call him. After exchanging pleasantries, he told me that his grandmother had passed away. He was sad and upset at her passing, and he spoke about her and how he and his family were coping with everything. As I listened, I realized that I had been focusing all of my energy on how bad my trip out had been and how United losing my bag had put a huge damper of my visit with my family. And here is my friend who will never be able to speak to his grandmother again telling me about how he really wished he could be with his family during this difficult time.

It put a lot into perspective for me--

I am with my family, spending time with loved ones I get to see, if I am lucky, once a year.

I got to my final destination in one piece.

I am at “The Happiest Place on Earth”, and I really need to enjoy that.

So where am I going with all of this? More so than anything, this was a wakeup call for me to remember to be thankful for that which I have, and not to focus so much on the negativity of a situation. We all can fall into that trap so easily. Does it mean you can’t get upset about bad things that happen in your life? No, of course it doesn't. We are all human—we are machines that are built to feel emotion. However, looking at your life from a variety of perspectives, and learning to appreciate what you’ve have rather than what you don’t have is key to living a life that will serve you to the fullest.

What are you thankful for in your life?

Your Thoughts Create Your Reality...

I was in a yoga class last week and my instructor said something that I have been pondering everyday since. “Your thoughts create your reality.” It took me a while to put my head around what that really meant for me, but by the end of my class I realized how that resonated in my life.

So what does this phrase really mean? Put simply, your thoughts and feelings are directly correlated to how you shape your life everyday. Further, the way those thoughts and feelings are shown on the outside have a direct influence on those around you. Think back to a time when you were just in a bad mood (we’re all human…it happens to everyone.) Something had put you into a foul state and you just didn’t want to deal with anyone or anything. How did that affect the decisions you made about what you were going to do that day, or how you were going to work? Some may say “I just don’t want to deal with this”, and walk away from whatever it is that they’re in the middle of. Others might just retreat into their “safe zone” and separate from the world for a while. Now flip that around. Think of a time when you were in a positive mood, when everything was going right, and you were just having an awesome day. What was your outlook on life? How much more did you think was possible for you to accomplish? Where did you want to take yourself next?

Does this mean that we need to be happy, chipper, bouncing-off-the-walls, positive people all the time? No, it doesn’t. We are human beings. We are inherent feelers of emotion. That goes for both the positive side of the spectrum as well as the negative. However, we need to be aware of how our emotions and the thoughts that come from them affect our lives, and how we live them. We need to be aware of how what’s on the inside is shaping our lives on the outside. It is this awareness, how you deal with your thoughts and emotions, and the resulting actions, that will help shape the decisions you make, and eventually the direction in which you steer your life.

So try this…next time you are really angry or upset, stop and do an internal check. See what’s going on in that head of yours. Ask yourself “How will this/has this state of anger or being upset going to affect/already affected my day?” Try it when you’re experiencing a positive, happy emotional state as well. See what you notice about yourself. Don’t turn into a psychoanalyst or anything. Just be aware and notice.

I am going to end with another Gandhi quote that I absolutely love…

Keep your thoughts positive,
because your thoughts become your words.
Keep your words positive,
because your words become your behaviours.
Keep your behaviours positive,
because your behaviours become your habits.
Keep your habits positive,
because your habits become your values.
Keep your values positive,
because your values become your destiny.

Enjoy learning more about yourself…you’ll be amazed at some of the things you’ll discover.