Humble Pie

I have a blog and it is Thanksgiving:  Obligatory Thanksgiving post.

I love this time of year.  The very nature of and reason for it cause us to come to realize all the things that we have to be grateful for and, in relation, humble about.  And really I think that's a big reason as to why I love this time of year so much.  It's a reality check that I probably should cash more often.  It's a time for family, food and friends, but also a time for reflection.  And this break, reflect I have, dang it.  I decided to compose a list of 5 things that I am especially thankful for at this time. This is not an exhaustive list, as I don't think that should exist for any aware person, but I tried to choose categories under which most things could reasonably fall.  I'll try to be concise as at times I get longwinded and I'm trying to make my winds shorter.  But in doing so, I'm also trying to accurately portray how I feel about some truly meaningful things.  So we'll see how it goes :)

1.)  First & Second Chances

     I am grateful for the opportunity to change and become better.  In life we're presented with many opportunities.  Sometimes these opportunities are a chance to do something new; sometimes they're a chance to try again at something that escaped us in the past.  First chances are doors that open to paths down which we never before have tred.  Second chances are opportunities to get back on a simliar path when inexperience has caused us to forsake the former.  I am grateful for both of these kinds of opportunities.  I have been given chances and experienced some things in my life that I wouldn't trade for the world. Literally.  What would I even do with a world?  But within these opportunities has been a mixture of successes and retries.  I think we're not meant to succeed at all the first chances that we're given.  Often it's in the need for a second chance that we learn what we need to succeed when it comes.  This allows us to prepare for pending first chances and find success when they come.  On occasion.

2.)  Influences

     I likely mention this a lot, but that's because it deserves it.  I can't say enough for the influence of the influences in our lives.  Whether good or bad, they are some of the most powerful teachers we'll ever encounter simply by way of example.  Despite their power, however, the responsibility is ours to discover what eaches teaches and improve therefrom.  I reflect often on the impact of influences in my own life and it's not hard to recognize.  They have made me into who I am in a very literal sense and I am supa grateful for it.   

3.)  Mind Over Matter

     I'm grateful for learning.  I have a fairly active brain.  This lowers its risk of obesity.  Its hyperactivity sometimes makes certain tasks difficult, but overall it's something that I am quite thankful for.  It has helped me to learn a lot that I likely would not have otherwise.  It also provides for entertainment as it has spurred interest in a ton of different things.  This has led to a wide variety of hobbies and the development of certain talents that I value greatly.

4.)  Circumstance

     I am grateful for my current circumstance.  Not to brag, but my life is pretty dang good when I think about it.  I am also grateful for the circumstances from which I've come.  Circumstance is an interesting concept in that a large majority of its influence over us is based upon our perception of it and how we react to it.  This can work in our favor or to our detriment.  As noted by Benjamin Disraeli, "Circumstances are beyond human control, but our conduct is in our own power."  And I might add that it decides our power.

5.)  Good News 

     Last but not least, I am grateful for my faith.  It gives me perspective, for which I have an ever-increasing gratitude in a world that can be so confusing.  It gives me direction, and a good one at that. It gives me peace, which I could find no where else.  It gives me courage, drive and understanding.  Two thumbs up.

We generally eat a lot at Thanksgiving.  My stomach would testify to that right now but it's busy trying not to suffocate on all the food I just ate.  In spite of all that, I hope that with all we eat during this season, we leave at least enough room for a slice of humble pie and let it change us for the better.  It's likely one of the only kinds of pie that is actually good for you.  A truth learned is a treasure found; a realization of what little we really have to boast about is a shiny one.  St. Augustine referred to humility as "the foundation of all other virtues", which is an assessment that I agree with.  It starts with a recognition that there may be something more--something we might be missing.  Indeed it starts there, and where it takes you is, well, somewhere more.

Eat up.