The Way Old People Eat Ice Cream

I wanted to post something last week considering it was Thanksgiving and being grateful is something I’ve really been trying to work on. There are so many elements and emotions that evolve around being grateful, and I’ve learned that while it’s an easy thing to do, it’s not an easy thing to be constantly consistent about. I started this little challenge with my dad at the beginning of November and each morning or at the end of the day we text each other three unique things we are thankful for. Not only is it a great way to gain insight into my dad’s mind, but he also gets to see the little things over here in Italy that are making my experience worthwhile. 

We all have good and bad days but what this challenge has taught me is that there is something truly good in every single day. We forget to notice and appreciate the little things that make us happy and tend to only focus on the overall goodness or quality of the day. God planted so many things around us for our enjoyment that we tend to ignore because we are so wrapped up in the busyness and chaos of our every day lives. There are people who live without 90% of the things that we have and are more thankful, feel more blessed and are more content with the life that they live. I think I’ve come to know that being thankful is truly the secret to happiness. When you are thankful, this feeling rushes over you and gives you an instant gratification and joy. It also doesn’t take a lot to be thankful. Some of the things on my list are things like HDMI cords, the way old people look when they eat ice cream, Snapchat memories, long runs, cobblestone streets, the way someone's head bends when they eat a taco, kids at recess, mini tabasco bottles and many more. Doing this challenge doesn’t “force” you to be thankful, it just shows you that life is not at all as bad as it may seem. Taking joy in the little things is a sign of a very kind heart. Think about the way you feel when you are thankful. If you’re thankful for a warm, sunny, clear day, you don’t go around wishing the worst for everyone or kicking them to the curb. You are cheerful, friendly, encouraging and joyous. Being thankful is easy to spread, but it’s also the number one thing that can turn a bad day into a marvelous one if you would just appreciate and notice the little things that have so much potential of making us content. 

While I said at the beginning, being thankful can be an easy thing, but it’s not always easy to be constantly consistent about. We all have days where we are just mad at the world. Mad at what’s happened to us, mad we didn’t do this or get that or mad at someone for something we don’t think is fair. There are plenty of things that get in the way of being thankful, and the biggest of these is envy. Envy is a tricky little sin that’s extremely hard to control as humans. It is our human nature to compare ourselves to others, to want something we don’t have and to feel as though we aren’t getting everything we deserve. More than likely, we are better at counting the things we don’t have compared to the things we do. Envy makes you question everything you’ve done or received in your life at the moment you start being ungrateful. You wonder why someone has something that you don’t even though you worked harder, you complain someone has something better even though you’ve been "gooder" (ha). Doing this gets in the way of Gods plan for you because it’s assuming you think yours is better. You question the goodness God has given to you, you resent the things He has given because they aren’t as high of quality as someone else’s, you start to lose appreciation for the gifts around you because you are wanting something better. THERE IS SO MUCH GOOD TO BE FOUND IN EVERY SINGLE DAY, in every experience, in every relationship, in every environment, in every moment and in every circumstance. Being grateful turns every experience into a better one, and it also allows God to know that you admire His creativity (which deserves all the admiration in the world). I challenge you strongly that whenever you are feeling discouraged, jealous, doubtful or envious, take a moment to look around and find 3 things in which you are grateful for. Like I said, being thankful gives you this instant feeling of gratification and joy which will also allow you to deal with whatever you’re struggling with with a clearer mind and a better approach. Nothing is ever as bad as it seems, there are always things and people around to help you along the way, and life is not one big race to the top of who has it better. Start admiring everything about the things and the people around you, like someones little dimples that appear when they smile, the unique, recognizable laugh of a sweet friend, handwritten letters from friends or family, the way Christmas music makes your heart happy, football on TV on a cold fall day, instant soup, the glass being half full and little reminders from fortune cookies to make it a great day. 

Life is so scary good my sweet friends, and being thankful I have learned has made it only 1000x better, and miraculously easier. 

“All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God." 2 Corinthians 4:15

**if you find this blog encouraging, please PLEASE just message me or leave a comment with three unique little things you are thankful for today, I truly want to know and it’s a fun game to play.