How to be THANKFUL When You Are Feeling Like A Thanksgiving Grinch

Thanksgiving is just a few days away. Everyone seem to be in auto-control mode and all thankful and grateful. Nothing wrong with that I guess since it's part of a yearly tradition. Yes, Holiday dictates it like remote controls in our brains! And much as anyone wants to admit it, we're like automated gratitude machine for about a week leading up to the day of the feast itself. Fine and dandy I say. But what if you're feeling like a THANKSGIVING GRINCH? You're just too overwhelmed with cares in the world to even care to be thankful? Will you still say thanks and partake in this day of thanks?

I'd be honest. I'm feeling a little Grinchy as of late. This year has been really tough on me and my family. There is so much hurt, loss and sadness that seemingly wouldn't end. Just recently, I have heard of another yet sad news that will directly impact my family in no time soon and is now drastically taking my enthusiasm and spirit away to Grinchland.

I'll tell you now, I'm not bitter with my life but I'm just not that happy with it right now. It seem that I have more to be sad and angry about this year than be thankful of and it's driving me a little not-too-thank-fully. So Grinchy-like much? Perhaps. But this is up until I started watching Extreme Home Makeover this morning. It was their Thanksgiving episode featuring the Dunning Family of Jusst Sooup Ministry and my! it got me raw and deep. Talk about a slap on the face kind of wake-up call for this fast-becoming Grinch me!

This family were unselfishly feeding homeless people out of their pockets! They who lost their own home, who now lives in a rented small, cramped condominium and where the husband works three or four jobs just so they can continue feeding the underprivileged people in their community. And all these, in spite of their own personal hardships and struggles, are still very grateful of the life they have or don't have!

I was stunned in disbelief! And ashamed to have chosen to wallow in my own selfish cares and let self-pity cloud my sense of gratitude. Yes, life's trouble can easily blind you to ingratefulness as I've experienced (and will continue to experience) but it shouldn't stop you or me, from counting your blessings, my blessings, no matter how small or infrequently they come.

If you're feeling like a Grinch today as I have, keep this in mind 
and learn how to bring Thankful back!

•  Other people have it worst than you and yet their life goes on with hope, so should you. Be thankful it is FREE to hope.
•  It's not the end of the world even if you end up homeless and jobless. It will be hard but...
• There are always people out there who are willing to help you out. Reach out and be thankful there are people like them.
• It can get scary when future looks really grim but the best thing you can do is live your life each day and live it well. Life is too short. Don't waste it griping. Be thankful you're alive.
• Blessings may not come all the time but they do come. Be thankful they still come.
• You'll always have your family who love you most. If not, good friends. Hold them close and be thankful you have them.
• Life is unpredictable. And always will be. Don't let it discourage you. Be thankful YOU are not alone. 
• You give love. You Get love. You give way to hatred. You get hatred back. You give thanks. You get thanks. You get the picture. Be thankful you have a choice.

I was reminded of some of this today. It correlated with my own agonies and fears in life. It's not a sure-fire guarantee to cure my own personal issues with life but it is a gentle reminder that I can choose to be thankful instead of choosing to be an unhappy Grinch this Thanksgiving. Hakuna Matata just like what Timon and Pumba would say!

I'm not even going to ask you what you are thankful for this Thanksgiving without sounding so rhetoric, but rather tell you to be thankful each day. And of course, not to be a Grinch any day at all.

I'm always thankful for my family and I'm definitely thankful for you. YOU complete Zensible Mama. And in behalf of all of us at Zensible Mama, Grinch or not, HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

And if you're inclined, read more Thanksgiving Stories here:

Homeless in DE? Contact Dale Dunning

Jusst Sooup Ministry -  JusstSooup.Org Tel. 302 644 8113