Article

Giving Thanks for Frustrations and Obstacles

Giving Thanks for Frustrations and Obstacles

There are many challenges in our world, on a large-scale and in our own personal lives. Gratitude makes us focus and turn our negatives into positives. We actually grow and learn from challenges. Some of the best things in life grew out of a negative circumstance. This Thanksgiving, consider this powerful emotion called gratitude.

November 16, 2023
Giving Thanks for Frustrations and Obstacles
Important Disclosure: Content on our website and in our newsletters is for informational purposes only. The information provided may (or may not) directly apply to your situation. We recommend that readers work directly with a professional advisor when making decisions in the context of their specific situation.

Life is filled with challenges: finding a job, paying for college, affording your retirement. While this may seem paradoxical, on Thanksgiving we should be thankful for frustrations and obstacles.

Often on Thanksgiving we think of the Pilgrims. The English colonialists were a grateful lot, but on religious days of thanksgiving, they focused on prayer, not feasting. Our concept of thanksgiving harkens back to the fall of 1621 when the Pilgrims and Wampanoag Indians celebrated the colony’s first successful harvest.

Thanksgiving Holiday

William Sydney Porter, known by his pen name O. Henry, cherished Thanksgiving as uniquely an American institution. He wrote, “There is one day that is ours. There is one day when all we Americans who are not self-made go back to the old home to eat saleratus biscuits and marvel how much nearer to the porch the old pump looks than it used to ... Thanksgiving Day ... is the one day that is purely American.”

The feast may be at your house, the home of your adult children, the grandparents or in-laws house or just a gathering of friends. Aside from overeating, we revel in remembrances of blessings and the warmth of friendship and kinship. Giving thanks is a healthy exercise in gratitude, the essence of all Thanksgiving celebrations.

A prayer written by Jonathan Sacks, chief rabbi of Great Britain, is instructive: “I thank Him for all the defeats and failures that make leadership so difficult, because the hard things are the only ones worth doing, and because all genuine achievement involves taking risks, making mistakes, and never giving up.”

Learning through Experience

True leaders thrive on challenge. If you have challenges, with your family or at work, be grateful that you have a family and a job. Challenges are learning experiences. They make you stronger and a better person. If you are not challenged, life will be boring, and you will not grow. Challenges are energizing, viewed through a lens of gratitude.

Being grateful for your innate gifts and talents can help turn negatives into positives. Some of the best things in your life grew out of a negative circumstance.

Power in Gratitude

Gratitude is a powerful emotion, appreciation for what we have, not resentment for what we lack. In a consumer-oriented society, pop psychology and media messaging pushes us to focus on more, more, more. Is your glass half-full? Or half-empty?

This Thanksgiving, look at your vexing challenges and contemplate what you are learning, how you are growing, how you will be strengthened, how you will advance in character and wisdom.

The mosaic of humanity is filled with tales of both happiness and sorrow.  Shelter, food and life itself are blessings for which we should say a prayer of gratitude as we join those we love and care for at the table on November 23rd.

Gratitude makes you focus on what truly is important. That is the real Thanksgiving blessing.

Other content you may like

  • A Business “Will” Can Go a Long Way

    A Business "Will" Can Go a Long Way

    November 9, 2021
    Essential for sole proprietorships and partnerships, a business will is a comprehensive estate planning tool that can include everything from management plans, and other documents necessary to a company’s continued operation and future health, to shareholder buy-sell agreements. Preparations made ahead of time will bring a smooth transition for the business you’ve worked so hard to build.
    Read this Article
  • Becoming a Better Negotiator

    Becoming a Better Negotiator

    May 20, 2023
    Whether closing a sale, haggling over a price with a supplier, or discussing a raise with an employee – business owners negotiate nearly every day. Whether you are a beginner or a confident negotiator, these strategies can help you maximize your negotiating skills and improve your chances of building your business.
    Read this Article
  • NOV Student of the Market

    Historic Stock and Bond Streaks

    November 29, 2023
    Is there potentially peak pessimism for bonds? Check out past stats for losing streaks for stocks and bonds, as well as long-term bond returns and starting interest rates. Take a look to see how not all stocks within the S&P500 are the same and find the historic sweet spots for stock and bond returns during a Fed pause.
    Read this Article
  • March Student of the Market

    March 28, 2025
    What does a negative February mean for U.S. Stocks? What about stocks abroad? Even so, volatility remains low. We also look at how stocks evolve over time, bond correlations, and how inflation affects alternative and private markets vs. traditional asset classes.
    Read this Article
  • The link you have selected is located on another server. The linked site contains information that has been created, published, maintained, or otherwise posted by institutions or organizations independent of this organization. We do not endorse, approve, certify, or control any linked websites, their sponsors, or any of their policies, activities, products, or services. We do not assume responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of the information contained therein. Visitors to any linked websites should not use or rely on the information contained therein until they have consulted with an independent financial professional. Please click “Continue to Link” to leave this website and proceed to the selected site.
    phone-handset