thankful.

so, i didn't get around to an actual thanksgiving day post - but it is still november and there is definitely still mashed potatoes and gravy running through my veins, so - better late than never.
i have had a lot on my mind this thanksgiving - it all started with this beautiful post that sent me into a world of reflection. i think i am often guilty of ingratitude - which i know to be among the greatest sins. it's not that i try to be ungrateful, it's just that i usually tend to focus on what is going wrong in my life or what hasn't turned out according to plan. i have often wondered why i do this - do i just need attention? someone to feel sorry for me for my problems that (let's be honest) are usually pretty ridiculous? do i not know how to focus on the positive and the beautiful in my life? am i so full of pride that i can't even see the many blessings that envelop me every day?
but when i do take a moment to be grateful (which i honestly try to do at least once a day... a girl's gotta start somewhere!) - i am absolutely overwhelmed at how incredibly blessed i am and have been my whole life. of course there are the big things... my family, the gospel, my health, my freedom and my friends... but even the little things make my heart swell in thanksgiving and my eyes well up to overflowing... the protection on an icy road last night, the little house in utah that will become a home for the next few years, the unusually warm fall we've had here in rexburg... when i stop and consider how mindful of ME my Heavenly Father is, i am absolutely humbled and truly feel loved, blessed and happy.
what is the secret to being able to live like this every moment of everyday? how can i make thanksgiving an attitude and a daily opportunity instead of just one day a year full of turkey and pumpkin pie? why is it so easy to focus on what i lack instead of focusing on what is so obviously abundant in my life? these are questions i hope to someday have answers to, but i have a feeling it may take years of practice and prayer. what do you do to live a more grateful life?
i hope all of you had a wonderful thanksgiving and that we can all live with more gratitude in our lives.