Give Thanks
Since then, though, I'm not really into internet challenges. I use social media constantly, and I see lot of people sharing posts because other people have started a hashtag and they want (or feel obligated) to join in. I don't judge those people, because I think that one of the positives of social media is that there aren't a lot of rules; you create and share what you feel is right, based on your own motivations. I don't see a point in belittling people who participate in those challenges because I don't see a point in judging what makes other people happy. I just don't really take part, because that's not my style.
Last week, a new internet challenge started and it's one that I felt like maybe I should jump into. As you'll know, I'm a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The president of the church, Russell M. Nelson, shared a video talking about the importance and power of gratitude. He challenged people to turn their social media into "gratitude journals" for the next week, sharing things they're grateful for with the hashtag "#givethanks" in order to create a huge archive of posts sharing what people throughout the world are grateful for.
Of course, this challenge wasn't a requirement. A person's membership in the church wasn't called into question if they didn't post about what they were grateful for. It was something voluntary. Each person had the freedom to take the challenge as they wanted to, and share what they were grateful for on their own terms. But when the president of the church tells you to do something, it's a pretty good idea to do it.
So I watched this past week as many friends and family members shared posts and stories on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, sharing many of the things they were grateful for. Many included important people in their lives, like family members and close friends. Others showcased the things that made their life a little bit better, like modern technology, medical treatments, transportation, and so on. Many expressed appreciation for the opportunity they had to serve a mission for the church, which includes an extended period of service generally some distance from the person's home. One interesting thing that I saw more than once was sunsets, which many people noted as influencing their life in a positive way.
The challenge to not only notice but share what you're grateful for is impactful because it makes people contemplate what's important to them, and it helps them recognize the value of things they might not have seen otherwise. It pushes people to "give thanks" for the blessings they have in order to focus on the good things that they benefit from in a time when it's really easy to focus on the bad things that life throws at them. I think it's accurate to say that 2020 has been a really hard year for most people for a lot of reasons, so a positive perspective is not only welcome, but necessary.
I thought it was cool as people shared these posts, but I don't think the challenge comes without potential downsides. Naturally, it's a source of comparison. It's easy to feel down because someone shared something they're grateful for that you feel you're missing out on. The challenge also had the potential to influence people to share things because they felt like they needed to, as if sharing those posts was the "right" thing to do, even if the motivation was insincere or not genuine. But like I said earlier, I'm not one to judge what other people share, I just wanted to note some potential issues with an otherwise wholesome and positive internet challenge. Overall, I'd say it's good for people to take some time and share what they're grateful for, regardless of those potential side effects.
But I still didn't want to turn my Instagram feed or my Facebook wall into a gratitude journal. Maybe it's because I'm not big into journaling. Maybe it's because I don't like sharing things out of obligation. But whatever the reason, it's not because I'm ungrateful.
I'm grateful for a lot of things. I'm grateful for the chance that I have to be alive right now and to have the people in my life that I do. I'm grateful for the places I've been, the wonders I've witnessed, and the moments I've experienced that have shaped me into who I am today. I'm grateful for the chance I have to keep learning and keep growing in order to become the kind of person I want to be. I'm grateful for the fact that a few days ago I went on a date with a really, really cool girl. I'll update you guys about that later.
I'm grateful for the imperfections that make life what it is. I think I sometimes wish that life were an intricate collection of moments without flaw, but I realize more and more that life's beauty comes from its cracks and its imbalances and its irregularities. Life is breathtaking not because it is perfect, but because it sometimes knocks the wind out of you, and sometimes it pushes you into a place where air is scarce. Life is captivating because each moment is new and fresh and raw, not because it is a uniform experience that we drudge through endlessly.
Confusingly, life is beautiful because it is imperfect, and I'm grateful for that.
Today is the first Thanksgiving in my memory that I will spend in my own home. Each year for as long as I can remember, my family has gone to a nearby relative's house to spend the holiday, enjoying delicious food and finding comfort in one another's company. This year, we decided that we won't be doing that in order to avoid any potential for contact with someone infected with COVID-19. Right now I'm grateful, although I have been affected in some ways by the coronavirus pandemic, that I haven't gotten sick and that no one I know personally has died from the disease that has been so devastating for so many people, and I'm grateful for the many people who have worked so hard to combat the effects of the virus.
So this Thanksgiving, for me and for many other people, is going to be different. But I hope that in whatever situation you find yourself this holiday, that you can find something to be grateful for. In public or in private, give thanks for the good people in your life, and remember to show them that you appreciate them.
That's all for now. Talk to you soon.
