Thanksgiving in tough times

To be thankful, we need to take a step back and appreciate the little things that we have that happens to mean a lot. Gratitude does not come easy, in fact in a world that is forever moving, ever pushing us to go forward, diving deeper into our lives, it can be damn difficult to find the time and space to simply pause and acknowledge life's blessings. 

It is even harder when your life is not going the way you have intended it.  It takes courage to go against the tide, it takes patience to stand still, and it requires integrity to believe that goodness is there to be found.

Yet, it is good for the soul to be thankful. I know this, for there are numerous times I have found that if I even spare a moment to express my thanks for the opportunity to face the challenges affronted me; to grief over the lost of someone or something dear; to even be able to potentially mess up on a greater level - it makes a difference. 

Thanksgiving is not easy, yet it is necessary. As you go through this season I implore you to find a way to really stop and give thanks. And, if you can, help those around you who are in need of it to find a way to give thanks as well.

We may not be going through easy times, but if we find a way to be thankful, it makes it slightly better. Thanksgiving builds character and requires it.

Lest we forget

May we never forget the sacrifices made,
By young men and maidens like,
Who to far off shores laid down their lives,
That we may keep our homes from terror ' s blight.
Their blood flow upon sandy beaches, and muddy trenches
Their hearts stopped beating on foreign soil

With their blood, sweat, and tear they secure our future
With courage and defiance, with a simple call to service they marched on
Into the worst of times, into the thick of battle
Their screams and agony, the price for our tranquility and serenity

And so we give them thanks, and so we honor them,
Those who gave their youth that we may raise our young in better times
Those who stood tall and proud when the tides urges us to turn and bow low
Those who redeemed our humanity in our darkest hour
Through faith, duty, and loyalty, for G-d and country

We give you thanks, members of the armed forces, at home and abroad, past and present
And to your families, may they know we are ever grateful of their contribution and their suffering,
May they know we will never forget.

Give it all you have got, even if what you got is not a lot.

There is no denying some days are tougher than others. When you open your eyes and debate whether to even get out of bed, open the shades, and face the world. You may not feel ready for the world, and that perhaps it is just better to close your eyes and drown yourself in drool as you sleep it off. Yet the world waits, it even knocks on your door, and I say ready or not, just go ahead and face it. You may not feel up to it, but if you just get down with it, you will find it is the right thing to do. After all, giving it your best does not always mean the instant results are spectacular, it just mean you give it all that you have got for that moment, that day. Not every act you do, every word you say is going to be this amazing masterpiece. Yet if you keep at it, little by little, what you attain is character, integrity, and discipline. Giving your best on a good day is easy. Giving all that you have got on a bad day? That is the road to greatness.