Think to Thank

Sometimes I forget to be grateful, it's true it's true. I find, though, that gratitude brings me more happiness than many other things. It lifts my spirits, shifts my focus from the negative to the positive, lightens my burdens, and provides wells of hidden strength that I sometimes forget exist inside myself. Gratitude helps me remember to extend a loving hand to people, and helps me to let go of hurt I allow myself to feel because of the actions of others.

At Thanksgiving, I try to remind myself to be grateful for the things that I've taken for granted throughout the year. Therefore, this blog post is about gratitude, and about those circumstances that I've grown accustomed to that make my life so very sweet.

President Faust said this about gratitude in an article entitled Gratitude as a Saving Principle that was published in the December 1996 issue of the Ensign:

"It seems as though there is a tug-of-war between opposing character traits that leaves no voids in our souls. As gratitude is absent or disappears, rebellion often enters and fills the vacuum. I do not speak of rebellion against civil oppression. I refer to rebellion against moral cleanliness, beauty, decency, honesty, reverence, and respect for parental authority. A grateful heart is a beginning of greatness. It is an expression of humility. It is a foundation for the development of such virtues as prayer, faith, courage, contentment, happiness, love, and well-being.

But there is a truism associated with all types of human strength: “Use it or lose it.” When not used, muscles weaken, skills deteriorate, and faith disappears. President Thomas S. Monson, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles at the time, stated: “Think to thank. In these three words is the finest capsule course for a happy marriage, a formula for enduring friendship, and a pattern for personal happiness” (Pathways to Perfection [1973], 254). Said the Lord, “And he who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious; and the things of this earth shall be added unto him, even an hundred fold, yea, more” (D&C 78:19)."

I love President Faust's observation that we need to use gratitude, or we'll lose it. Like so many other things, gratitude is a skill that can be honed and improved. On the other hand, it can be lost and forgotten through neglect and apathy.

Therefore, in an attempt to exercise gratitude, I am listing things that make my life pleasant and enjoyable, things that don't normally cross my mind (not in any particular order):

1. Accessibility to music, along with the resources to choose which music I listen to, and how often I listen to it.
2. A heater and air conditioner in my house. They both work!
3. Accessibility to news and information...literally a click away on my computer.
4. Literature...and lots of it!
5. Clothing that is ready-made and easily washable. Towels. Sheets. Blankets. My shower/tub.
6. Electricity.
7. An abundance of food at the supermarket, and the ability to choose healthy options.
8. Lots of transportation options.
9. Generally very good health...and hospitals and clinics that are nearby if I need them.
10. The opportunity to learn many many different things and the option to choose what I learn.

Now for some of the usual, but always important, things I'm grateful for:
1. Being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and having access to scriptures, regular church meetings, and the temple.
2. My family and their love for me despite my inadequacies, quirks and faults.
3. My friends, who also exhibit charity towards me on a regular basis.
4. The opportunity to live in a democratic nation.

I think that my new motto will be President Monson's advice: "think to thank." Life is so much sweeter when the good is glorified in people and situations. As I've spoken with others about trials lately, we've discussed the definition of trials and the purpose behind them. Remembering to thank Heavenly Father for situations that create opportunities for spiritual, emotional, and intellectual growth helps me to realize that these "trials" give me the opportunity to become a stronger, better person.

I like doing these "Tagged" lists because they allow me to procrastinate writing other blog posts.

4 Favorite TV Shows:
4. The Office
3. The Colbert Report
2. Survivor Man
1. Myth Busters

4 Things I did yesterday:
4. Went to the most humongous bonfire I've ever seen...and left before the police got there.
3. Ate a piece of a chocolate cake shaped like a tombstone covered with red roses that said "RIP U."
2. Cried. It felt good.
1. Got a nice hug from a good friend. :)

4 Things I'm looking forward to:
4. Dinner Club and Ward Prayer at my house tomorrow night.
3. Finishing up a database for my calling.
2. Wrapping Christmas presents.
1. Thanksgiving next week!

4 Favorite restaurants:
4. Thai Orchid (Haven't been there in years, and I still dream of their food)
3. Gourmandise Bakery and Cafe
2. Bohemian Brewery
1. Los Hermanos

4 Foods I hate:
4. Big chunks of half-cooked onion. I like the taste of onion, but not the texture.
3. Cooked raisins
2. Mussels
1. Lima beans

4 things I want to learn:
4. Web Design
3. Economics
2. Spanish
1. Digital photography and archiving

4 Things I'm obsessed with:
4. Footnote placement and appropriate use of periods, apostrophes and commas. Can you tell that I format reports regularly for work?
3. Family history
2. Food in general: both consumption and creation of it!
1. Reading

4 Things you may not have known about me:
4. I own two cars at the moment. One is dead, but the other one runs beautifully!
3. I am watching the BYU Utah game right now.
2. I can still speak horse latin, a gibberish language I picked up in elementary school.
1. I tried Kobe beef, (beef from cows raised in Japan), for the first time last week.

4 Words that crack me up:
4. Waddle
3. Magnanimous
2. Schedule (said with a British accent)
1. Bilious

People I tag
4. Erin
3. Martha
2. Sherry
1. Kim

Succumbed

Until this past week, I was determined to survive for at least three more years without a car payment. The last two cars I owned were what one might lovingly refer to as "beaters." The first one of these, (the first car I ever owned), was a 1991 Honda Civic DX hatchback that was bright red. I named him "Cliffy, the small red car." Cliffy was a gem. He got great gas mileage and lasted me for five or six years. He went with me to Portland, he waited for me on my mission, he was there during my BYU days in Provo, and also made the trip with me to Salt Lake City. With only some minor bumps along the road, Cliffy ran like a charm, except for his lack of AC. When the blower went out and I was also without heat in the car, I decided to sell him and go for an upgrade of sorts. I purchased a 1990 Audi 80. You may ask about my reasoning there. Well, this little silver Audi, that some friends of mine nicknamed "Sassy (pronounced shashy)," had lots of perks...like automatic door locks, power windows, and most importantly, an AC and heater that worked. My dad helped me sell Cliffy, (the car sold pretty much the same day he listed it), and I actually spent less on Sassy than our asking price for Cliffy. Sadly, all did not go well with Sassy. I purchased Sassy in May of this year, and the car breathed its last transmission breath about two weeks ago, and not before I'd put a significant amount of cash into fixing random things that broke. For instance, I had to replace the idler in Sassy. I never knew idlers existed before then! Since Sassy's demise, I've been thinking about what I should do.....should I go green and try public transportation for a while? I've certainly been bumming rides off of lots of people. One of my friends even let me borrow her car last weekend. Someone suggested to me that I should be able to find good deals on cars at the moment, especially with the economy the way it is right now.

With that thought in mind, I checked Craig's List, and to my joy, I found a steal of a deal on a 2004 Honda Civic that was significantly cheaper than the low book price. I test drove it with my dad, and we determined that it seems to be very dependable....and it gets great gas mileage....and the AC and heater rock! Due to my struggles with "beater" cars, I decided to give in and get this dependable car that does require a car payment. In the end, it will be well worth my while. And for now, I'm enjoying the perks as follows:
1. The muffler brackets on this car actually stay attached to it (not so much with Sassy). Therefore, the muffler stays attached as well.
2. The transmission works like a dream! (Again, much better than Sassy).
3. I get great gas mileage. (Refer back, yet again, to Sassy).
4. When I accelerate, the car is very quiet and smooth. I have to watch the speedometer to make sure I'm not speeding too much. :)
5. The speakers in the car work. Last night while enjoying spooky music on Classical 89, I was startled by a sound akin to leaves crackling that was part of the piece being performed. The sound was coming from my left AND from my right. It took me a moment to realize that it came out of the speakers on both sides of my car!
6. This car passed both emissions and safety with no problem at all.
7. The tires on the car are really expensive and in really good shape.

In the end, I feel safe with my new Civic, and I'm planning on keeping it as long as it will run for me.

Oh yeah, quick funny story for you: Tonight I babysat three of my nieces and one nephew at my sister's house while my siblings went out on a group date. When my sister got home, she told me that my brother and sister-in-law would be there soon but they stopped to get i-c-e-c-r-e-a-m (spelled out to keep my niece, their 5 year old little girl, JJ, oblivious to the fact). Without a pause, JJ said "oh, they went to get ice cream?" Ha! Smart kid! My sister played it off really well, though, and JJ didn't catch on that she was spot on in her guess.