27 Nov Thoughts on Gratitude

With Thanksgiving, 2013 just one day away, it’s a great time to remember what we have to be thankful for. Here are 13 things I give God thanks for every day:

1) My children. Dalton and DeLaney endured their parents’ divorce AND their mom starting a business, yet they’re still amazingly stable. I’m thankful that they’re smart, compassionate and resilient. And while they’re bound to ask me to pay for their therapy some day, I’m grateful we’re not there yet.

2) My business. With all its ups and downs, my business has been an energizing force for me. It’s a great creative outlet. I get to do what I love. And I enjoy going to work every day.

3) My health. Like most of us, I take it for granted, but I am completely grateful to have a healthy mind and body. I’ve seen how difficult life becomes the second one experiences a health issue.

4) My dog. My six pound morkie is a bit of a yapper, but she is great company now that my kids are both in college. Plus, I get to yell “Stellllllaaaaaa” every day without having to act in a Tennessee Williams play.

5) My home. Stella and I are rattling around in a four-bedroom house, but it’s where my kids went through their high school years and where we’ve lived for seven years. There’s nowhere I feel more safe and comfortable. If only it required less yard work. . .

6) My clients. Having clients who are good at what they do makes what WE do much more fun and enjoyable. Some of our clients have been with us for ten years. And I’m really grateful to call them my friends.

7) Yoga. I have a stressful job. If I didn’t have a yoga mat to stretch out, breathe and sweat on, I might be on medication by now. I honestly believe we’d all be in better health (see #3) if we would practice Ashtanga yoga.

8) The Bible. Say what you will about religion, I’ve found that when I follow the commandments in this book — in business and in life — things go a whole lot better for me. It’s only when I stray from these instructions that I find myself experiencing regret.

9) My family of origin. Between my parents and my sisters in North Carolina and my aunts, uncles and cousins in Alabama, I stay pretty grounded. I know who I am – and who I’m not – because of them.

10) My friends. There are only a few people I confide in. These are folks with whom I dine, travel, golf, laugh and cry. Life would simply suck without them.

11) My education. I’m one of those rare individuals who actually uses her major. I graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill with a degree in Journalism/Advertising. I still draw on the marketing principals I learned there. Even those who aren’t Tarheel fans have to appreciate the quality of the education this nation’s oldest state university provides. (Take that, Georgia!)

12) My car. I put 20,000 miles a year on my car. That’s a lot of windshield time. I do some of my best thinking on the road. And with satellite radio, I do a fair amount of listening now, too. If I turn off my phone, my comfortable car is like my own private mobile island. I like that.

13) Apple. I love just about everything Steve Jobs touched. I got a Mac when they first came out and have worked on one ever since . . . Apple products are so intuitive, they not only make us more productive, they actually make work more enjoyable when we use them.

I could easily come up with 2,000 more things I’m thankful for this year. How about you?