Comments on: A Thanksgiving Post http://takenwithagrainofsalt.com/home/2007/11/20/a-thanksgiving-post/ life with a side of skepticism & 3 girls Sat, 22 Nov 2008 08:31:54 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.2 By: takenwithagrainofsalt.com » Flaunt It Friday: The Best of 2007 http://takenwithagrainofsalt.com/home/2007/11/20/a-thanksgiving-post/#comment-595 takenwithagrainofsalt.com » Flaunt It Friday: The Best of 2007 Fri, 28 Dec 2007 04:25:57 +0000 http://takenwithagrainofsalt.com/home/2007/11/20/a-thanksgiving-post/#comment-595 [...] remember at some point this fall (Thanksgiving week, I think) coming to the realization that true happiness is to be found in gratitude. While it is very simple to forget much of what has passed this year, especially the good (which is [...] […] remember at some point this fall (Thanksgiving week, I think) coming to the realization that true happiness is to be found in gratitude. While it is very simple to forget much of what has passed this year, especially the good (which is […]

]]> By: Penny http://takenwithagrainofsalt.com/home/2007/11/20/a-thanksgiving-post/#comment-287 Penny Wed, 21 Nov 2007 01:33:27 +0000 http://takenwithagrainofsalt.com/home/2007/11/20/a-thanksgiving-post/#comment-287 A thankful person is hard to discourage. A thankful person is hard to discourage.

]]> By: Lisa http://takenwithagrainofsalt.com/home/2007/11/20/a-thanksgiving-post/#comment-284 Lisa Wed, 21 Nov 2007 00:55:56 +0000 http://takenwithagrainofsalt.com/home/2007/11/20/a-thanksgiving-post/#comment-284 Well said. hard to be happy all the time but I try to be grateful for all that I have. Happy Thanksgiving! Well said. hard to be happy all the time but I try to be grateful for all that I have. Happy Thanksgiving!

]]> By: Amy http://takenwithagrainofsalt.com/home/2007/11/20/a-thanksgiving-post/#comment-283 Amy Tue, 20 Nov 2007 21:47:20 +0000 http://takenwithagrainofsalt.com/home/2007/11/20/a-thanksgiving-post/#comment-283 I was literally holding my breath as I read your words. Almost as if I was afraid to breath and disrupt your train of thought. You have such a gift. This post really gets to the heart of my thankfulness this year. It's hard to explain to people that I am thankful for my hardships. I didn't like them at the time (and honestly am not that thrilled about them now), but I feel so grateful that God used crummy circumstances to make me a better person. If my circumstances didn't have me running to God so much, I would be the same person this year that I was last year. Thanks again for your words. I was literally holding my breath as I read your words. Almost as if I was afraid to breath and disrupt your train of thought. You have such a gift.

This post really gets to the heart of my thankfulness this year. It’s hard to explain to people that I am thankful for my hardships. I didn’t like them at the time (and honestly am not that thrilled about them now), but I feel so grateful that God used crummy circumstances to make me a better person. If my circumstances didn’t have me running to God so much, I would be the same person this year that I was last year.
Thanks again for your words.

]]> By: Fancy Pancakes http://takenwithagrainofsalt.com/home/2007/11/20/a-thanksgiving-post/#comment-280 Fancy Pancakes Tue, 20 Nov 2007 18:02:31 +0000 http://takenwithagrainofsalt.com/home/2007/11/20/a-thanksgiving-post/#comment-280 Thank you for the reminder of gratitude as an essential part of happiness... Your description of the happy people makes me wonder, damn, am I not happy? And I answer, well, work on making yourself happy! It's so hard when you're with your own brain all day! I have to remind myself that I expect a lot of myself, and that it's hard to feel grateful for my wonderful life when I am not happy with my (mostly self-pressured) inadequate progress in various areas of my life! I wonder if gratitude also involves the ability to extend kindness to others. Being kind to yourself and others requires time; just a few moments every day to think, but it's time we often don't afford ourselves. Another good reminder to either meditate or write in one's journal for a few minutes each day! Tracy, love your comment about looking in your children's eyes... kids are living reminders that we should be thankful! M, going to print out your entry, and my response, and post them on the little thoughtboard I keep in front of me to keep me focused! (Ah, shoot, better move the "CHRISTMAS 2007" manila folder out of the way... :) Thanks for another personal and thought-provoking entry. Thank you for the reminder of gratitude as an essential part of happiness…

Your description of the happy people makes me wonder, damn, am I not happy? And I answer, well, work on making yourself happy! It’s so hard when you’re with your own brain all day!
I have to remind myself that I expect a lot of myself, and that it’s hard to feel grateful for my wonderful life when I am not happy with my (mostly self-pressured) inadequate progress in various areas of my life!

I wonder if gratitude also involves the ability to extend kindness to others.
Being kind to yourself and others requires time; just a few moments every day to think, but it’s time we often don’t afford ourselves. Another good reminder to either meditate or write in one’s journal for a few minutes each day!

Tracy, love your comment about looking in your children’s eyes… kids are living reminders that we should be thankful!

M, going to print out your entry, and my response, and post them on the little thoughtboard I keep in front of me to keep me focused! (Ah, shoot, better move the “CHRISTMAS 2007″ manila folder out of the way… :) Thanks for another personal and thought-provoking entry.

]]> By: Tracy http://takenwithagrainofsalt.com/home/2007/11/20/a-thanksgiving-post/#comment-278 Tracy Tue, 20 Nov 2007 16:04:38 +0000 http://takenwithagrainofsalt.com/home/2007/11/20/a-thanksgiving-post/#comment-278 Very well said. The concept of gratitude has made it's way more overtly into our North American consciousness of late (thanks Oprah) but most of us are hard pressed to fully internalize what it is to be truly thankful- all year long. It is a difficult thing to do, to be just so damn thankful for this very moment that you are living in, regardless the challenges and difficulties of daily life. As a culture (and perhaps as a species) we have become conditioned to look for what's next rather than what is right here and now. You are right in that those people who live in true gratitude are happy. Truly happy. To this I aspire. To look into my children's faces and just revel in what is now... Very well said. The concept of gratitude has made it’s way more overtly into our North American consciousness of late (thanks Oprah) but most of us are hard pressed to fully internalize what it is to be truly thankful- all year long. It is a difficult thing to do, to be just so damn thankful for this very moment that you are living in, regardless the challenges and difficulties of daily life. As a culture (and perhaps as a species) we have become conditioned to look for what’s next rather than what is right here and now.
You are right in that those people who live in true gratitude are happy. Truly happy. To this I aspire. To look into my children’s faces and just revel in what is now…

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