As I approached this season of Thanksgiving, a wave of discontentment, frustration and ungratefulness began to settle in.  I spent a whole day thinking about all the things that hadn’t happened yet, places I hadn’t gone to yet, things I wanted to do but the opportunity hadn’t presented itself yet and on and on.  The more I thought about what I didn’t like, the worse I felt.

     And then, the next day, it was like a light bulb came on and I realized this wave of feelings was from the enemy.  Although my feelings were valid, I couldn’t afford to let them take control of my life and my thoughts.  I quickly began to think about all the wonderful things that are happening in my life, the places I have gone, the opportunities I have had and the discontentment began to fade.  I realized at that moment that I must choose to be thankful.

     An attitude of gratitude shifts our focus from ‘what’s wrong’ to ‘what’s right’ and positions us to move forward.  When we linger on feelings of frustration, disappointment, and discontentment, we become stuck there.  We forget we have the power to control our thoughts and make positive decisions.

     Today, as we reflect on Thanksgiving, choose to be happy.  Choose to acknowledge everything that is going right in your life.  Choose to move forward and not get stuck in the past.  Choose to remember you’re not a product of your past but a product of the choices you make today.  Choose to be thankful!

~Coletta Jones Patterson

 

Coletta is an author, life coach, business executive and weekly blogger.  Connect with Coletta at info@moveu4ward.com.