Things I'm Thankful For

Sometimes I get so caught up in worrying about things and wondering why seemingly bad stuff happens, that I forget to think about all of the good things that go on in my life. So, what are the things that I'm thankful for?

1. I'm truly thankful for my overall health. I've known many people who aren't as lucky as me and hearing about their day to day challenges makes me take pause and realize that life could so much more challenging if not for my health.

2. I'm thankful that I've had the opportunity to finish my college degree. Some days it's really hard to sit down and finish a paper or read a chapter or do research, but overall, I'm lucky to even be able to have this opportunity. So many people are never able to go to college at all and for me to have fought through and done it while being a working adult is fantastic. And, a college education is something that can never be taken away from me.

3. I'm thankful that I have a job. I don't necessarily like my job every day, but I'm glad that I at least have a job. I have also been given some flexibility in my schedule that has allowed me to not only finish my degree, but also take care of day to day things that an inflexible schedule wouldn't have ever allowed. This job also provides me with my health insurance and my retirement plan, which is great!

4. I am thankful that slowly but surely, there is starting to be more money left over at the end of each month. I have struggled with this for quite a while and I am finally starting to see the light at the end of this dark tunnel. It's such a great feeling that lately, after all of my bills are paid, there's still a little left over. The left over isn't much, for sure, BUT, at least there's more money than month!!

5. Because of #4 above, I am thankful that I have been able to invest in a new business, that although is not yet profitable in the sense that I can buy things for myself, or send anything extra to bills, I have at least made back my initial investment and have used that to continue investing in inventory and demo products. There will come a time, very soon, where I won't have to use anything out of my personal funds to support the business, and then after that, I will be able to start paying myself some type of salary in order to reap the rewards of my hard work.

6. I am thankful for my family - my parents in particular. They have, of course, always been there for me, but they have been especially helpful the last few years as I was starting my life over and becoming more independent each day. My dad has even started to help me with the organization of my business, which is a huge help to me!

7. I am thankful for my friends - I have several separate groups of friends and I cherish each of them. My girfriends from my childhood are the best friends that anyone could ever ask for - we are all so completely different and live completely different lives, but when we come together for anything, the bond is something truly inspiring. They have been with me through every single step of my life (a couple of them since kindergarten!) and know me better than anyone, and yet, they still talk to me! You have to love that about them!

So, my list is a little short, but it's at least something that I can reflect on and see how far I have come in the last few years. There was a time when the only thing I had was maybe one or two of these things at one time, so it's nice to see the list growing. I'm looking forward to the next things that I can add.