I hope that you’re able to take some well deserved time off and spend some time with family today. 

I always feel like milestones and holidays like this one are a great opportunity to take the time to stop and reflect on where you are with your goals and life. And today, take some time to be thankful for what you have in your life. 

Money is one of those things that you can feel like you’ve never got enough of. Even if you’ve got a plan for your money, you’re getting out of debt, you know what you need to do, it can just feel like a slog. 

Somedays, it feels like all we want to do is wish these times away so that we can get to the good part. We want to get to the part where our kids are older and helping around the house. We want to get to the part where we’ve got more money and can spend it in ways that we want. 

But the problem is that when you wish away your life, you miss out on living it. 

This is your life. It’s happening right now. 

Your life doesn’t start when your kids are older, or when you’ve finally paid off your debt. 

Money won’t fulfill you

While money can bring plenty of happiness-the joy you feel when you sit inside a car you love, the enjoyment you get from traveling, the enjoyment you get from trying great food at a new restaurant-money won’t actually fulfill you. That part you have to do on your own. 

Fulfillment comes from building a career you love, developing deep and lifelong relationships, participating in activities that you enjoy, and continuing to grow throughout your life. 

Money can’t control those things. That’s on you. 

So it’s worth taking some time this Thanksgiving to be thankful for those things that make up the good life. 

Use gratitude to strategically improve your life

I love the quote that says at one point, you wanted everything that you have now. 

That quote always means a lot to me because it’s definitely true for my life. Being married to Katie, the job I have, my family, and our house are all things I used to dream of having. But we always move the goal post. 

Once we make it to one destination we realize that we have further to go. But I really do have everything that I’ve wanted at some point. 

So what’s the missing piece? Are we destined to be miserable because no matter how far we go it can never be enough?

The missing piece is having gratitude. 

It’s worth taking a moment today to really consider all of the things in your life that you have to be thankful for. Think of the big moments that make you feel thankful, but make sure that you’re thinking of all the little things as well. 

Instead of being so focused on arriving at the destination, make sure that you’re cultivating that spirit of gratitude and that you’re being thankful for where you are today. 

Think of those things in your life that really matter, the ones that give you true fulfillment. The money stuff can wait. Make sure that you’re not waiting another moment to enjoy the life you have today.  

Jared