On Thanksgiving, it is easy to remember those things that are easy to be thankful for.  It doesn’t mean that these things are any less important.  But is easy to be thankful for our friends, family and the good gifts that God has bestowed upon us.  But what about the tougher stuff?

How many of us remember to be thankful for:

• Our enemies?
• The times we didn’t have enough?
• The times we we wrong, mean or disrespectful?
• Being sick?

Why should we be thankful for these things?

“And when it rains on your parade, look up rather than down. Without the rain, there would be no rainbow.” — Gilbert K. Chesterton 

All of these trials have brought lessons, strength, understanding, humility and appreciation for the good things.  There have been plenty of times that I would not choose to relive because of the difficulty.  Two years ago, my strength and patience were running thin as I met challenge after challenge in my business.  But with each challenge, I changed and adapted how I ran my business until at the end of that period what emerged was a more focused, well thought out, strong business that aligned with my values and personal mission.  It was a painful process for sure but one I would not have embarked on willingly and was necessary to my growth.

As we close out this Thanksgiving weekend, remember to be Thankful for the trials that made you the person that you are today.