To welcome this year’s Thanksgiving, I thought I’d write about being thankful. 

As humans, we tend to get caught up in a vicious cycle. We focus on the negatives and misfortunes that happen to us, and we overlook the silver linings. 

I’m sure many of us are too familiar with these phrases:

“Life is so unfair.”

“Why do I even bother trying?”

“It’s not like things are going to work out anyway.”

“Shit happens.”

“Why can’t I be as lucky as them?”

“What did I do to deserve this?”

Once you start chanting these phrases, it’s hard to hit the brakes. You’ll keep snowballing until you find the people around you calling you “debbie downer”. I’ll be honest with you: complaining feels good. Uttering these phrases gives you instant relief because it validates your own feelings and miserable experiences.  According to some studies, complaining acts as a bonding mechanism. When you share the same dissatisfaction as your peers, you feel more connected to each other. 

However, it is because of this reason that many of us forget to be thankful for the good things that happen to us. So, here are the things I’m grateful about.

I’m grateful that my dogs and family are all in good health. 

I’m grateful that I have a roof over my head and enough food on the table. 

I’m grateful that I’ve met the most wonderful people here on Cafetalk. 

I’m grateful for my Japanese teachers who go the extra mile to help me learn. 

Now it’s your turn!