If you’ve been a LeaderTriber for long, you know how much I love Thanksgiving! This year I had a unique perspective. First, I’ve been struggling with acute physical pain for the past year. So I’ve been out of my comfort zone. So I have had to be intentional: I CHOOSE thankfulness.

Next, I choose to encourage others, even when I’m discouraged. That’s been harder than I thought. Because this year wasn’t easy for me. I had to put in more intent when it came to being thankful and being happy. And despite what I’m going through, I choose to radiate positivity–I CAN NOT do that without a thankful heart.

I plan to bring thankfulness into my daily life every-single-day.
 

Here’s something else I am thankful for–it’s HOPE.

You read that right, HOPE. As you know, I’m hoping to undergo my THIRD back surgery this year (and hoping that this will be the last one!) And I hope this will mitigate the pain I’ve had for the past year.

Maybe there’s a part in me that is scared or uneasy. Not about the surgery, but what if it doesn’t work! So I CHOOSE to look forward with hope. I cannot control what will happen, but I can control how I FEEL. And right now, I am choosing to be HOPEFUL.

But I’m most hopeful because someone who has struggled and failed as much as me can be forgiven. At Christmas we celebrate the birth of Jesus (even though he probably wasn’t born in December). So I look back on Thanksgiving, and forward knowing that I have a future and a hope!

So for the upcoming holidays, friends, I hope you are also able to look back at everything that happened to you this year and choose to be GRATEFUL. And at the same time, look forward with hope. You can be forgiven for your sin and mistakes, set free from your addictions, and thankful for your opportunities to grow.

Let’s make the coming year our best year EVER!

A late “Happy Thanksgiving,” an early “Merry Christmas” and always “Much Love!”

Feel free to shoot me a message if you want to talk about something more private–rob@leadertribe.com.

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