Though I rarely celebrate Thanksgiving—as a vegetarian who lived in Southeast Asia for the better part of 20 years—I love the spirit behind this day of thanks. There is a powerful message to be learned here.

This message came to me loud and clear this past few weeks, which have presented quite a few obstacles. Obstacles are part of life. That’s not likely to change anytime soon. But I realized recently how much time I spend dwelling on disturbance, instead of reflecting on how darned lucky I am to have such unique obstacles.

It’s so easy to succumb to doom and gloom.

I’ve been realizing recently that everything co-exists—the good, the bad, and the ugly—and that I get to choose which one to focus on.

Ruminating on how things are wrong does not make them right. As my wise and cheerful mother often says: just get over it!

There are better ways to spend time than reviewing an unfulfilled past.

I’m not suggesting denial. There is power in discriminating wisdom. But once the mistake, or failure, or challenge, has been identified and we reset our course, then it is a total waste of energy to keep looking back at what might have been. As we frequently hear, we attract the energies we send out. So if we want good things to come our way, there is no better practice than gratitude for what we already have.

I’m mixing things up this year: instead of waiting for New Year’s Day to make my resolutions, I’m starting early. My Thanksgiving resolution is to start each day with gratitude.

I’m resolving to commit to a writing practice: to identify at least 20 things I’m grateful for in my life. High up on that list is writing, which keeps me sane and happy.

Another entry on my gratitude list is readers in a community like the Elephant Journal, who allow me to share what I write.

Try this journaling prompt for yourself:

List 20 things (or more) you’re grateful for. (If inspired, share one in the comments!)

~