Thanksgiving 2013

Today is Thanksgiving 2013 and I woke up two hours before my alarm, mind ablaze with life's possibilities. After losing the fight to coerce my brain back into a restful state, I sprang out of bed and began my morning exercise regimen. (I imagine my parents reading that last sentence and asking each other "who is this man claiming to be our son?"). Yes. It's true. I sprang. A week ago I read some article somewhere^{[citation needed]} about "20 things successful people / CEOs do before starting their day" (or something like that), and my take-aways were: exercise right away (aka remove your own ability to make excuses after a long work day), and visualize your day: what you'll do, where you'll go, who you'll see. Curious if this actually would make a difference, for the past week I've set my alarm early, not hit snooze, and hopped on my elliptical for a 10-minute workout before proceeding with my normal morning routine. 10 minutes isn't much, but it's enough to get my blood flowing and by the end, I'm awake and alert. While exercising I rock out to worship music (this morning's was Addison Road, Brad & Rebekah, and Owl City), pray, and try to listen for God. Possibly it's a placebo effect, but over the last week I've felt more "ready" to tackle each day, and more alert throughout the day, despite waking up those few minutes early.

When I got up this morning, I felt convicted to write another "first world problems" table like my post from June. Being Thanksgiving this seems appropriate. Like everyone else, I have coworkers and friends spread across the entire optimist-pessimist spectrum (for an hilarious and nerdy interpretation of the "glass half full/empty" problem, check out this post from what-if.xkcd.com). Me, I'm the eternal optimist - I am always looking for the "at least" in a situation: "at least you're still alive", "at least now you know", "at least there's hope." Don't get me wrong, I still love me a good whine-fest, I'm just saying at the end of the day I realize things could be a whole lot worse, and I choose to dwell on the positive.

First World Problem	Reality Check
Was up late researching new cars and watching Castle	I have electricity, and access to the internet at my fingertips
Could've slept in, but body wouldn't let me	I had time to pray and write about Thankfulness before rushing out the door
My stocks (LGF) took a tumble on Monday	I have stocks! I get to play the stock market game, something I've always wanted to do since childhood
Struggled to keep straight all the casting projects these past few weeks	Business is booming, and in one more month I'll officially transfer company ownership to John!
Almost 28 and still single	I have the luxury of waiting for "true love," haven't been forced into an arranged marriage, and can support myself financially without needing a spouse's second income. And though I oftentimes forget it, my value as a human being is not determined by my relationship status. Also, I'm really excited for my date Saturday with "Church Girl", as my friends refer to her :)
Can't talk to all my friends as often as I'd like	I have so many high-quality, real friendships
Sad my Aunt and Uncle and Cousins are out of town for Thanksgiving	I love my family and we all get along
Way too busy	I have a day-job, own a small business, and have lots of people to see and things to do - I am never bored
Allergies have been TERRIBLE for over a year	I have health insurance and am working with an allergist; I have treatment options available to me
One of my best friends is in prison	He's still alive, he's doing well, and I can visit him
Relationship with God isn't where I want it to be	God loves me anyway and will help me work through it
Life isn't perfect	Life is good