As we turn our eyes ahead, we see the holidays will soon be upon us. If you are like me, you are amazed at how quickly the time is passing!
So today I want to focus on Being Thankful. One thing I have learned over the years... no matter what is happening, there is always something to be thankful for.
There are two main points in this email that I hope you take with you. The first is to Be Thankful for all the people and all the material goods you have in your life
Thinking of all the blessings I have, my list of what I am thankful for could go on and on. My faith, family, friends, my business and clients, church, home, material things, the area in which I live, are just a few broad categories for which I am so grateful. I am thankful for each of you reading this email. I have been richly blessed with so much.
The second and truly interesting thing that really rises up as I reflect on being thankful is to Be Thankful for every struggle, challenge, and difficult circumstance you have in life.
I have learned so much as I navigated each challenge, struggle, and difficult situation that I have faced, am facing and I know I will face. I learned when I made wise choices and I learned when I made mistakes.
One really big thing I learned was to get prayer support from others. We are not meant to walk alone in this world. Sharing what is happening in my life with people I can trust and feel safe with has helped me carry my burdens without them breaking me. I realized I didn't have to share every detail but I did need to be vulnerable and to let others in to get the support I needed.
This was scary at the beginning because I had been hurt by some I had let in. I was afraid to get hurt again. Trust was difficult to extend to others. But over time, little by little, I found that sharing was so much better than carrying my load alone. As I continued to let people in, share my life with them (the good, the bad, and the ugly), and risk being vulnerable, I gained new friendships. With wisdom and discernment I discovered I could trust some of these new friendships because they were based on mutual trust and openness. I found a measure of relief and peace as I let others help me carry my burdens.
So, with all that and more, I am grateful for every challenge and difficulty because I know I can look forward to growing and learning in each one.
So as you think about your life...
** What are you thankful for?
** What have you learned from the struggles and challenges you have faced?
I would love to hear from you. Drop me an email at Dianne@PreciousStonesCoaching.com.