“Do not indulge in dreams of having what you have not, but reckon up the chief of the blessings you do possess, and then thankfully remember how you would crave for them if they were not yours.” Marcus Aurelius from Meditations
Being thankful for what you have is one of the fundamental tenants of Stoic philosophy. To be happy and content with what is your life right now and indifferent to what you do not have is a sign of a good Stoic. I feel truly blessed and appreciative of what life has given me, the good and the bad. It has made me the man I am today.
This was my first Thanksgiving with family in three years and it was a wonderful occasion. They say that absence makes the heart grow fonder and I can say there is much truth in those words.
I’m thankful for the wonderful summer I have enjoyed without worrying about work or bills. I’m thankful for the country I live in and the amazing people who live here with me. We may not be a perfect bunch, but there is much to be said for the struggle that makes us better.
I’m thankful for new opportunities, both professional and personal. I’m even thankful for the past failures and the lessons learned.
I’m thankful for you, dear reader, who makes this blog such a joy. There is a small group who pass by from time to time and it is your comments that force me not to take my assumptions as valid, but encourage me to think critically about the investment choices I make.
This is only a small sample of the many things that I am thankful for. Putting some of it in writing gives those feelings of appreciation inside me a more concrete existence.
I’m a bit late, but I hope all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. And to my international friends who visit, yet do not celebrate the American version of Thanksgiving, you don’t need a special day to be thankful. The most moving expression of gratitude is that which is most spontaneous.
The Stoic
The Stoic Investor 
Great to hear! I admire your mental outlook and attitude towards life. It’s much better to look at things from a “glass is half full” perspective.
Thank you for the inspiration!
FI Fighter– I’m glad you liked it! I’ve always been a “glass half full” kind of guy, even when I really had to look at the glass from various angles to really see it 😉 Like most I have had my shares of ups and downs. Given the chance to do it all again, knowing the hurt and loss I would suffer as well as the gain and joy, I would gladly do it all again. Experiencing life, at least as I have been blessed to experience it in this time and place, is truly an amazing thing.
There’s a lot to be thankful for! I’m amazed everyday by the blessings that have been bestowed upon me. It’s certainly not lost on me.
Great to see you’re loving life back in the States. It seems the move worked out for the best. May it continue to do so!
Best wishes!
DM—I’m very happy to be home and have no regrets. Sure, it would be nice to have all that income to invest with and making a 1/3 of what I previously did makes managing finances a little different, in the end there is more to life than money and the continual pursuit of it. My life is good and I have no complaints.
Nice post, and I’m a huge fan of Meditations by Aurelius.
It’s probably the most concise and practical work of philosophy I’ve ever read.
Thanks Dividend Monk. I enjoy just about everything from the Stoic writers, Aurelius being one of many.
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