With the holidays coming up, here is a list of things I am thankful for.
There is a lot of bad things gong on right now. Many people have lost their homes, have no jobs and many don’t even have families. There are millions of people a day who don’t have enough to eat or the money to survive. This can make the holidays an unpleasant time, but look on the bright side. No matter how bad things get, there is always some good things going on in your life. Men like to dwell on the bad stuff, but please don’t. If you do this, I assure you the people around you will be glad you did, and it just may turn your holidays right around. Here are some things I am thankful for this holiday season.
The first one is that I have family that I can spend the holidays with. I will admit I don’t see them as often as I would like, and we don’t always talk on the phone every day, but I do love them. Whenever the holidays come around, you can make sure we will be getting together. It is always a huge joy for me to catch up with them, and find out what is new in their lives. At this time of year, I know I will have someone to spend it with, and that always helps me raise my mood when I am feeling down. My family is the rock that helps me when life gets tough, and they will always support me no matter what I do. I vow now to make it my life goal to do the best I can to pay them back, in whatever way I can.
I am also thankful that I have a job. I work for a company that helps me pay my bills, and I also get to learn a lot of new things there. I have worked there for almost two years now, and I can honestly say I enjoy my job. I get to work with the public every day and help them find what they need. Whether it is a new printer for home, a new computer for school or a tablet for their child; it is wonderful to get to help them find the perfect product that they need. I also work with a great team of people that are there to help me do better and to lift me up when the job may get monotonous or boring. We have many similar interests like a love for video games, and we get to have wonderful conversations about what is new and why it is worth buying the newest system or game that comes out. My team also has taught me much, without them I would not be the great seller that I am. It is one of the best jobs I have ever had, and I hope it never has to end.
I am also thankful to have a nice place to live. I moved into my place on August 2010, and I have really grown to love this place. It is is a nice neighborhood, it is close to Sacramento State and I have lived with some real nice people. There atre a few clubhouses with a pool to use in the summer and a hot tub to relax in during the cold winter months. I never had to worry about parking because I live so close to school, and trust me that made getting an education much less stressful. There have been a few rough times here when I did not see eye to eye with my roommates, but things worked out for the best. I also have one of the best landlords I have ever had, she is caring and wants to make sure her tenants have a place where they can grow and have fun too. It is the longest I have lived at one place for many years, and it will sadden me when the day comes when I move from here.
The last thing I am thankful for is my continued sobriety. Without getting into too much detail, about 13 years ago I was addicted to some substances that were not only controlling my life, but made it very hard for me to move forward in life. I was sleeping most days, partying all the time and had no clear direction on what I wanted to do. Thanks to my family, and my higher power one day the nightmare finally ended. I got to go to some places and do some work on me, and through those tough times finally got my head cleared up. I knew what I had to do, and made some real goals and for the first time followed through with them. Since then, I have had the chance to get an Associate’s and Bachelor’s degree, and I am now following my dream of being a reviewer for a huge publication. In August, I got to celebrate 9 years of sobriety, and I can honestly say life never stops getting better for me. There have been some hard times since I got clean, but I have made it through them without having to go back to my old ways. As long as I do what I need to, things will just keep going up for me.
So this holiday season, take some time to spend with your loved ones. It doesn’t matter if they are family, friends or just people you hang out with, take some time to see them. Think of all the good things in your life, and be glad about what you have. No matter how dark things may seem, don’t let them ruin your holidays. As long as you have people who care about you, things will be sure to get better. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and I hope your holidays are the best you have ever had.