Three years ago, I was in the middle of a lengthy recovery from a car accident. For someone so active and energetic as myself to suddenly be confined to a recliner, was extremely difficult. Instead of being outside playing with my husband and daughter, I watched from the window. While they walked, took hikes, and rode bikes together, I stayed indoors waiting for them to return.

It was easy to get discouraged and focus on all the things I could not do with my family. I spent many days wallowing in my self-pity, fighting to loose its grip. As Thanksgiving approached that year, I was reminded of my “Jar of Thankfulness” I had created a year before. My thankfulness jar contained small pieces of paper inscribed with items for which I was thankful.

When I first created the jar, it started out tough. I wrote down the first two things that came to mind — my husband and daughter. Then I drew a blank. I wanted to give up and forget the exercise, but I trudged on. Slowly, a few things came to mind. I wrote them down, then a few more surfaced. The more I wrote down, the more items came to my mind. Soon my jar was already half-full.

When my lengthy recovery felt like it would never end, I went to my Jar of Thankfulness. One by one, I opened the pieces of paper and read them aloud. I didn’t have to read too many before my attitude began to turn around. Soon, just seeing my jar on my counter brought a smile to my face, as I knew what the papers said.

Often, it’s hard to see past the turmoil we feel when enduring a difficult situation. Discouragement is like a vacuum that threatens to suck us into its dark cavity. Thankfulness on the other hand, is like a ray of light shining on us in the midst of a gloomy day.

Each of us has much to be thankful for regardless of our circumstances. The only question is where we put our focus.

Combat the gloomies — create a Jar of Thankfulness!