What do I REALLY have to be thankful for?

I know that Thanksgiving was last week and that writing a blog about being thankful is not exactly quite as timely as it would have been last week, but oh well. I think the entire holiday season is a time to reflect. Between you and me, I've been doing a lot of reflecting lately. And the bottom line is this, no matter how crappy my work schedule seems, no matter how tight money seems right now, no matter how frustrating my love life may be, no matter how crappy my wod at the box was, and no matter how fat and out of shape I feel, I have a LOT to be thankful for.

Sometimes the day to day can be so overwhelming that it's easy for me to lose sight of the big picture. Everyday there are so many stressures that just pop up in my life that things get overshadowed. Bosses, kids, friends, family, bills, responsibilities. The list really seems endless. With all these things fighting for my time, it can seem like there isn't much going right. It sometimes can feel like it's all going WRONG. But you know what? It's not. It's really not.

I honestly am blessed in many ways. It may not always seem it, but I am. First and foremost, moreso now than ever since moving to VA, I have a terrific group of friends. I know that I now have people in my life that if need be, would answer a phone at 4am for me. They would help me in anyway possible, and more often than not, they do try to help me carry the burdens of my life that I stubbornly carry alone. They are terrific. A million dollars would more than clear the debt I am fighting very hard to fend off, and it would leave me sitting comfortably for a good amount of time. For all that cash and luxury, I wouldn't trade ONE of those people. Regardless of my failures, regardless of my mistakes, these people care about me and enjoy me as a person. They don't judge me, they don't criticize me, and they love me for who I am. They are all worth their weight in gold and I'm thankful that every single one of them is a part of my life.

Many of these friends, although certainly not all, would not have become part of my life were it not for CF. Through the internet and through my box, I have met some of the most terrific people in the world. CrossFit has introduced me to so many new and intersting people, and through them I've had some AMAZING experiences. From working out at the boxes in NYC to hopping a plane to stay with Georgia and meet some other friends in Chicago. And not only has CF brought me into contact with an amazing array of people, CF has given me so much more. Yesterday I was unhappy that I wasn't able to overhead squat 170lbs. Do you realize the ridiculousness of this? I'm complaining because I can't lift more than my bodyweight over my head. That's crazy. Know why? Because there are people in this world who are so sick they can't get out of bed to go do what we do. There are people who are so obese that they can't do what we do. There are also people in this world who are too scared to do what we do. I'm thankful that CF has introduced me to all of these amazing people, but I'm also thankful that CF has allowed me to remain a healthy and active person. Am I at my "perfect and ideal" weight? Heavens no. But I'm certainly a stronger individual, both mentally and physically, than I have been in an extremely long time, if not ever.

And let's be honest, my job sucks right now. The Department of Ed is screaming that right now they need 1 million good teachers because the ones out there aren't doing their jobs. That's not true. I would say that the teachers who are out there, are doing the best they can in a broken system that is under extreme duress. Right now they are pushing teachers harder than ever and demanding more and more without taking anything away. We don't need better teachers, we need teachers who aren't so overburdened that they hate their jobs, not to mention, are actually allowed to do them. This is not the rosiest of outlooks. But regardless, I have a job. The economy in my hometown has been hit very hard. Friends are having parents lose their jobs for the first time in 30 years. That could be me, but it's not. So regardless of how crappy my working situation is between the restaurant, coaching, and school, I need to be thankful that I am at the very least, gainfully employed. It really and truly could be far worse.

When I stop and think about this, the answers seems so clear. But it's like I said in the beginning, the daily life stuff can sometimes get overpowering. It can sometimes overwhelm you. But finding the perspective is really what it's all about. And mark my words, I really am thankful. Are you?