5 Things I Am Thankful For.

One of the key facets to being able to live a simple life is the ability to be thankful for what you have. If you are constantly yearning for “newer” or “better” or “more”, how could you possibly ever be satisfied and thankful? That is why I try, as often as I can, to remind myself of some of the things that I am incredibly grateful for in my life. It keeps me grounded, it keeps me living in reality, and it keeps my ego in check when thinking about the fact that many people around the world do not have it as good as I do, through no fault of their own. Framing your existence in the realm of the entire planet sure helps one be thankful! So without further ado, here are 5 things I am thankful for at this very moment:

1. My health. A few of you might already know this, but in 2007 I was diagnosed with melanoma skin cancer. Luckily they caught it before it had gone too deep and spread any further, but I still have to get checkups every 6 months for all of eternity. However, I am alive and healthy, and doctors’ don’t think it will be coming back. For that I am very thankful, as without my overall health and our health insurance, it might have gotten worse.

2. The roof over my head. As many in the world go without adequate shelter, I realize how lucky I am to have a rood that doesn’t leak, windows that shut, doors that lock, plenty of room to move around in, and floors that keep most of the bugs out. Too many live in unhealthy conditions, and I am thankful that I have a nice place to live.

3. The ability to do what I love for work. In fact, most of the time I don’t even consider what I do to be work. If writing articles, editing video, doing html coding, searching the internet, interacting with friends in the social media sphere, and taking breaks whenever I want, then please – bring on more work! I get paid to do work I love, I can wake up when I want, go to bed when I want, take time off when I want, and sit outside and read when I want…so I could not ask for anything more.

4. Starting to live a simpler life before too long. This kind of goes along with #3, but it is also entirely different. I was on the corporate path, working long hours at a job I didn’t even like, in order to afford all the trappings of modern American life – the new car, the expensive clothes, eating out every night, the apartment I couldn’t afford, etc.. And when I quit that world almost 3 years ago, it changed my outlook forever, as I realized how much time and effort I put into trying to impress other people while ignoring my own needs. What a waste of time.

5. The food on my table. My wife and I spend a lot of money every month on organic food and grocery products, and I understand that millions in the world go hungry each day and would love to have just a fraction of the food available to them that we have available to us. So I am very thankful that A. we can afford this food and B. that it is even here and available for us to consume. I did not ask to be born nor did I have a choice as to where I would be born…so basically each of us lucks out who goes on to live a comfortable life. Others are not as fortunate, and keeping them in mind as I go through my day helps to remind me of how lucky I truly am.

As of right now, these are 5 things I am very thankful for in my life. Can you think of 5 things you are thankful for at this very minute? If so, care to share in the comments? Would love to read them!

Oh, and have a great weekend…and be sure to sit around and do nothing for at least a few minutes!