Showing Gratitude during Thanksgiving and Perhaps a Few Days Beyond...

I am thankful for the events that have taken place over the past week. At long last, I am making very slow, but noticeable, progress on fixing the horrible condition of my apartment in Guilderland, NY. It was in rough shape with things all over the floor. The task is being taken on one little step at a time. This is certainly a problem that has damaged my sense of self-esteem and emotional health for a long time. It feels great to be able to see cleanliness once more and have hope that things are going to continue to get better and better well into 2019 so I may be even more of a role model.

It is also important to express intense gratitude over the fact that I am still employed by Living Resources, Inc. after three solid years. I am also pleased to have been able to take on so many new responsibilities and made additional contributions throughout Living Resources, Inc. Part of who I am is being unable to let things go so I am thankful that nothing terrible has happened to jeopardize or terminate my employment. Such a thing would seem like the end of the world.

My romantic life is certainly not perfect these days, although it is so much closer to perfect than my childhood or early adult years. Back in 2013, I went out with a woman who was emotionally abusive and accepted it at the time because it seemed better than nothing. It also feels liberating to be able to ask out a woman for a friendly, platonic lunch and not have her run away in fear or seem to be noticeably uncomfortable. I never thought things would ever change in my earlier years.

One of my passions in life is writing Holiday cards, but I always seem to manage to wait until the last possible minute before they are sent out in an explosion of cards. I am thankful that for once I am starting the cards a little earlier and it looks like I am going to make it this year with some time to spare. I am also thankful that I have held on to some other passions that gave me immense happiness throughout childhood such as the horrific magic of Halloween and going to the beach of Wildwood Crest, NJ every summer.

In an attempt to pay the gratitude forward to the rest of society, I just donated $20.00 to a National Alzheimer’s Association considering that my maternal grandfather died from it in 2009. It is a devastating illness.

Some silly but important things I am thankful for are the following. I am thankful for the fact that I have a new vehicle that is a 2018 Honda Accord, and it has not yet been damaged or totaled in an accident. (Knock on wood!) My vehicle is quite important to me, and I think of it as a living thing that deserves ultimate care even though the inside makes it seem like a mobile landfill or something to that extent. I am thankful that my phone and camera has not been damaged or lost along with the important information it stores. I am also thankful that I have finally started getting used to services in Albany such a haircut and chiropractic adjustment.

I am thankful for the fact that even though circumstances are never going to be completely perfect, it seems like fewer and fewer people in society are afraid of me. The last time I was accused of stalking or creeping someone out was about six years ago, and I believe that is a good track record! I would like to believe it is because society has been changing but would also like to believe it has something to do with me being proactive and stopping problems from even becoming problems. The best problems solved are the ones that are prevented in the first place.

A new thing I am thankful for is the self-help tactic of Backwards Procrastination that has reminded me that the best way to avoid procrastination is to start things at the very last minute very far in advance. What seems like an open faucet of extra time suddenly becomes no time!