{"id":332,"date":"2011-11-24T19:30:36","date_gmt":"2011-11-24T19:30:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/areasontosmile\/?p=332"},"modified":"2011-11-24T19:30:36","modified_gmt":"2011-11-24T19:30:36","slug":"giving-thanks-or-10-things-to-be-grateful-for-video-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/areasontosmile\/2011\/11\/giving-thanks-or-10-things-to-be-grateful-for-video-2.html","title":{"rendered":"Giving thanks; Or, 10 Things to be grateful for (VIDEO)"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Everyday should be Thanksgiving<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Today is Thanksgiving here in the U.S., but I want to take some time out from cooking turkey to have a quick talk about what you’re grateful for.<\/p>\n

First, let me say that even though Thanksgiving is set aside as a day to give thanks you should take some time every day to review all the things you’re thankful for.<\/p>\n

Just in case you don’t realize how good you’ve got it, here, in no particular order, are 10 great things you may not have considered:<\/p>\n

1.You woke up this mornin<\/strong><\/span>g
\nThis one seems simple but the fact is thousands, if not millions of people woke up this morning and didn’t know it was their last. Just being alive is a tremendous blessing, and means you still have at least a little more time to enjoy your life and everything in it.<\/p>\n

2.You can see and hear<\/strong><\/span>
\nIf you are reading this, that means you can probably see! If I get around to recording a podcast of this, we can find out if you can hear, too! For my blind or deaf Brothers and Sisters out there, you can still be grateful for the fact that you live in a time where technology exists that still lets you live an independent and self-sufficient existence.<\/p>\n

3.No one shot at you today<\/strong><\/span>
\nIt’s very easy to take for granted that you don’t live in some sort of a war zone. Right now millions of people live in a constant state of fear that some sort of violence will break out, and if you aren’t one of them you should be thankful. Realize that some of those people live right here in this country!
\nThe fact that we have police and military who are willing and able to protect us and come to our aid in and emergency is a luxury that not everyone has.<\/p>\n

4.You didn’t go to bed hungry<\/strong><\/span>
\nSelf explanatory, but I can guarantee unless you live in an ultra wealthy area, someone within 1 mile, if not 1 block of you, did go to bed without enough to eat.<\/p>\n

5.You have a roof over your head<\/strong><\/span>
\nWhether or not you live in your dream home, it is probably a lot nicer than a park bench or an underpass!<\/p>\n