Giving Thanks Every Day
Every November in America, we celebrate Thanksgiving. The U.S. holiday’s origins are often linked to a 1621 harvest feast shared by the Plymouth colonists and the Wampanoag people. It is a time to celebrate the harvest and blessings of the past year. It is a time when families come together. It marks the beginning of the Holiday season. Many times, it brings on stress, many people travel great distances, and we get caught up in the process rather than taking the time to celebrate our lives, enjoy the company of family and being thankful for the many blessings.
Finding Gratitude Through Life’s Challenges
The longer I live, the more intentional I become about giving thanks and being grateful for my many blessings. I have lived a very full life at 51 years of age. I have experienced extreme poverty, lived with great wealth and abundance. I have traveled all over the world. I have been in love and experienced extreme heart break. I have had many failures but have also had many successes and wins (many more failures than wins).
I have survived vicious personal attacks, vindictive lawsuits that cost me millions of dollars, attacks on my integrity and honor with the intent to destroy me personally, professionally, financially and emotionally. I have survived the death of a child, loss of close family members, betrayal by people I have trusted.
However, as I write this blog, I have enormous gratitude for the abundant harvest and many blessings. I look back and realize that each event made me stronger, gave me proper perspective, made me more patience and brought me closer to God.
Although I did not recognize it at the time, as I reflect, all these things happened FOR me and not TO me. Each time we are struck with tragedy or tough times, human nature is to cry out, why me? What did I do to deserve this? We become angry, sad, sometimes desperate and depressed. What if that why is to make you stronger? What if God is trying to get your attention and provide you with proper perspective? What if God is trying to bring you closer to Him like it did for me.
Today, no matter what hurdle, obstacle, tragedy or failure I encounter, I try to remain patient. I pray more often. I realize no matter how bad it gets, it could always be worse and for that I am thankful. I have experienced and survived some of the most tragic events any human can encounter and events that many humans fear. Most importantly, though, I am better because of it and I do not fear.
Each day I wake up excited, ready to take on the day. I realize I am still a work in progress, but I also realize God has a plan for me and I do not want to screw it up.
This month, I encourage each of you to reflect on your life, your current situation, realize your many blessings and be thankful. If you are struggling with finances and you live in America, your income places you better off than 90% of the global population. Be thankful for that. Although you may think it is bad, it could always be much worse.
Daily Habits for a Thankful Life
I want to share with you some of my daily non-negotiable routines that have helped me through some of life’s toughest tests and tragedies.
- Wake up early before the sun comes up each day.
- Watch the sun rise and witness God’s creation. Feel his Presence.
- Pray or meditate each morning and give thanks for your many blessings.
- Have an intention each day of what you need to do and how you are going to do it.
- Stretch and exercise within half hour of waking up. All other animals stretch when they wake up. This keeps you flexible and gets your circulation going.
- Live to serve and treat others as you want to be treated.
- Expressed gratitude.
Living with Intention and Abundance
No matter where I wake up in the world, I can do these things, and I have developed these as habits. I visualize my life and my journey forward and I am conscious about my thoughts. You should watch your thoughts. Your thoughts become your words. Watch your words. Your words become your actions. Watch your actions. They become habits. Watch your habits. They become your character. Watch your character. Your character becomes your destiny. Our destiny begins with our thoughts. If we are to have abundant harvest and blessings, we must think abundantly and prepare ourselves for endless blessings.
So, clear your negative, hateful thoughts. Manifest a life of abundance and give Thanks. If you are reading this, please know that I am forever grateful to you for taking time to read what I have to share. I hope it enriches your life.
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Dr. Nathan S. Bryan is a biochemist and physiologist that has more than 25 years of basic science and clinical research. His many seminal discoveries have resulted in dozens of issued U.S. and International patents. He is an international expert in nitric oxide and molecular medicine. Dr. Bryan is an innovator and successful entrepreneur whose product technology is based on his discoveries to restore nitric oxide production and signaling. This content is not intended to replace medical advice from a physician.
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