Think of All That's Come to Pass...

It’s getting to be that season, the time where I begin to evaluate the past year, the decisions that I have made and what the implications of those decisions have ultimately been. That’s right folks, it’s the holidays! As I was saying, this time of the year tends to bring much self-evaluation my way. It all begins a week or two before Thanksgiving, when I start to try and compile a mental list of all of the things that I am thankful for. You see, it has become a tradition that on Thanksgiving, before we dig in to the wonderful food, my family and friends have to go around the table and list the things that we are thankful for. On a worldwide basis, 2005 has been quite a tragic year. Between tsunamis, hurricanes and wars, I have seen that there is so much for me to be thankful for. I have an amazing family, wonderful friends and my health. This year, I have been trying to live my life knowing that the small stuff is just that, small. Keeping things in perspective, for me at least, seems to be the key to happiness. If I don’t get angry about a small incident at work and instead try and let it roll off of my chest, I find I am happier in other aspects of my life. To be honest, letting the small stuff slide isn’t always an easy task, and there are often times that I find myself “buying-in” to meaningless drama, yet, I know that I am much happier when I don’t. So this year, I am thankful that I have a job, and while I don’t love my job, it affords me the opportunities to live a fantastic lifestyle. I am 23 years old, have a lovely apartment, I pay all of my bills without problem, I travel a great deal, I have a wonderful support system and I am making strides to get my life together. I am, in essence, living the dream, and I am so thankful for everyone and everything that have gotten me to this point… So, I urge each and every one of you, to take some time over the next month or so to take stock of your lives. Think of how lucky we all are to be living our lives in a healthy and happy state, and how much worse off we all could be.

“Think of all that's come to pass, and all the things that fall away so fast… Had you tried could you have made them last?”