Thursday, December 5, 2024

Comparison is like a moving airport sidewalk you wander onto… it whisks you 50 yards away to a bad place before you’ve even taken a step. And it always seems to be right there—just one tiny thought or scroll away—ready to dump you into a state of discontentment. Theodore Roosevelt once said, “Comparison is the thief of joy.” And if that’s true, comparison equally steals contentment, too. 

Contentment, simply speaking, is choosing to be happy with what you’ve got. It’s learning to live in a state of gratitude even for the small things. Because more often than not, it’s the small things that fill our days with meaning.

Your Home 

1. For the roof over your head and a warm, dry place to sleep at night 
2. The clothes on your back and shoes on your feet 
3. The water in your home to take showers and bathe your kids 
4. All of the food in the refrigerator and pantry 
5. Electricity! And for living in the time where it exists 
6. Cell phones and how they connect us to our loved ones all over the world 
7. Having internet access in your home 
8. How fun it is to decorate your home for the seasons 
9. Candles! All the cozy candles
10. A safe, sanitary environment to prepare meals for your family

Your Family 

1. Your kid(s)! Is there a bigger, better thing to be thankful for?
2. Restored relationships in your family 
3. The adorably-perfect way toddler mispronounce words 
4. Long, healing hugs from your teenager 
5. Heart-to-hearts with your middle schooler 
6. All the joy that new babies bring
7. Every night that you were able to rock your child to sleep 
8. Watching your child’s personality develop
9. The moments when you notice your kid make a brave and kind choice 
10. Your favorite kid books, and the time you have to read together  

Your Best Self 

1. Your God-given talents (yes, you have lots!) 
2. The fact that you are the best parent for your child 
3. The ability to move your body
4. Good hair days
5. Coffee (or tea!)
6. Your favorite foods
7. Your body’s 100% success rate of getting you through every single day
8. The way you feel when your favorite song comes on the radio 
9. Your ability to love your child(ren) more than you ever thought possible
10. The unique ways you make others feel good about themselves 

Your Community

1. Your childhood friends
2. The friends you’ve made as an adult 
3. The laughing-so-hard-you-cry moments with others
4. Facebook groups that make you feel less alone 
5. Friendly neighbors 
6. The teachers who care for your child(ren) well 
7. Trusted babysitters!
8. Therapists 
9. Nurses and Doctors who were there on the hardest days
10. The way communities can come together after a tragedy  

Your Simple Joys 

1. The way the leaves change in the fall 
2. How pretty Christmas lights are 
3. The first warm day of spring 
4. Watching your favorite team win a game 
5. Cozy, rainy days 
6. How your house smells when you’re cooking something good 
7. Watching your kid(s) laugh 
8. The feeling of freshly-washed sheets on your bed
9. A clean kitchen 
10. Fresh flowers in a vase 

In this season of giving thanks, it’s the perfect time to reflect on the people and moments we often overlook. Theodore Roosevelt once said, “Comparison is the thief of joy.” And if that’s true, it also robs us of contentment. Today, we encourage you to pause, notice the beauty—both big and small—around you, and embrace the contentment that gratitude brings.