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?