It’s easy to be thankful for the good things in our lives. That comes pretty naturally for most people. What requires more thought and builds more character is figuring out how to be grateful for the not-so-good things in our lives.
Years ago, I read an unconventional gratitude list that really made me stop and think. It included entries like:
- I’m grateful for mounds of laundry because it means we have plenty of clothes to wear.
- I’m grateful for sinks full of dishes because it means we had food to eat.
I love the example Corrie Ten Boom gives in The Hiding Place
Choosing to be grateful, even in tough times, makes us happier. We can turn trials into blessings by learning to be grateful. Finding something to be thankful for doesn’t mean that you would choose the same trial again. Gratitude doesn’t minimize abuse or harm others have caused us. Finding the silver lining and changing our perspective will help us deal with the challenges we face.
How can you be thankful for your debt?
I’ll go first:
- I’m thankful for our debt because it means my husband got a great education.
- I’m thankful for our debt because it has taught us to be much more purposeful in our finances.
- I’m thankful for our debt because it is giving us the opportunity to help and encourage others.
How about you?
- How are you thankful for your debt?
- How has being grateful for the not-so-great things in your life impacted you?
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Although we don’t qualify for the debt forgiveness program, I agree with everything you said! 10 years of the debt sitting around is way too long! We are hoping to be out by 2017 or 2018. Our debt has given us so many things and one is seeing the consequences of our choices. Another is a job that my husband loves. We’ve learned to live within our means and get priorities straight. We sometimes talk about all we could do if we didn’t have the debt, but what we mainly say is how nice it’ll be to not have it any more! When we ga e our financial meetings together and look at savings, debt payoff, etc, it makes me hopeful for the future and excited about what’s yet to come.
There are definitely lots of blessings and lessons that have come because of the debt. That’s awesome that you’ll be done with your debt so soon Sara!
Oh, I haven’t heard Corrie’s name in a while. And I love the idea of that kind of gratitude list. And you are so right. If it wasn’t for our debt, we wouldn’t be as passionate as we are today and changing our lives and teaching and changing our children’s futures! Thank you for posting this.
For me, our debt is a painful reminder of the mistakes we’ve make in the past, but how else can we learn without a little pain? Right!
Merry Christmas and a fabulous New Year to you and your family Stephanie!
Oh, and I just requested the audiobook from the library. Thanks for the recommendation!
I love this idea!! I am thankful for our debt because it means that I have been able to get a college education and have a reliable vehicle to keep my family safe as we travel.
Oooh, tough. But ok:
I’m thankful for my debt because it forced me to get on top of the way I live — to think about not just how to pay down the debt, but what I actually want to be doing with my money. This has made me think about what I really value and what I’m really willing to pay for. Even now that I’m on the verge of being *out* of debt, I’m really aware of the difference between a $300 monthly rent and a $500 monthly rent and a $700 monthly rent — the difference in those things builds over time! I don’t think I would be so focused on my budget if I hadn’t had debt to pay down. So I suspect ultimately I’ll be in a better financial position than if I’d made the same moves (gone to grad school, etc) but lived a little more frugally at the time and escaped without any debt.
I am thankful for my old debt ( car and student loans) because it taught me the importance of paying off debt like it’s an emergency. It serves as a memory that even though it FEELS like the numbers aren’t going down, they are
I am thankful for my soon to be debt because it means that we have OUR very own roof over our head for the first time. It means that the money is going into our dream home instead of rent. It means that we made the right financial decisions before and we are prepared to make them again.
Thank you for opening this discussion to the flip side of debt. You have a unique way of encouraging conversations about something that is negative in a way that does not shame people about their debt. So I suppose this statement should be number 1.
1: I am thankful for debt for the reason others have stated – it has forced my husband and myself to openly discuss things and work hand-in-hand rather than each attempting to do our own thing.
2: A little of the debt we have is because of health-related issues, so in that case I am thankful for the ability to relieve pain and/or the ability to live a life without physical struggles.
3: I am thankful for the opportunities advanced education has brought.
I am also grateful for the chance to finally get our finances under control. We are able to help others now. We have learned to be happy with less. We have learned that family time is much more important than seeing how much ‘stuff’ we can accumulate. And we have found strength and hope through people like you who have become mentors and friends. 🙂
I love this idea. This is truly going to help me see our debt in a different light and allow me to be thankful in all circumstances.
I am thankful for our debt because:
1) It has allowed my husband and I to become more financially aware.
2) It has allowed me to have a great education.
3) It has allowed us to communicate more freely about our spending habits.
I am grateful for debt because it has taught me so much about interest, financial changes, budgeting, and the willingness to go without!
Love this post Stephanie! It is definitely about one’s perspective.
I thankful for debt because:
1. Debt taught my husband and I how to communicate better and work as a team while getting rid of it.
2. Debt encouraged me to live minimally and that is where I learned how little it takes for me to be happy. Contentment.
3. Debt has introduced me to so many people who are struggling with the same battle of paying it off. I couldn’t ask for a better group of like-minded individuals who inspire and encourage me daily.
4. Our debt pay-off story has created unbelievable opportunities to inspire those loved-ones and strangers a-like who have reached out to us in some of their darkest moments with their finances. Being able to provide that glimmer of hope to them has been the biggest blessing debt has provided.
I am thankful for our debt because it led me to your blog, which in turn led me to YNAB (and the first class I am taking tonight online)! I am thankful for out debt because it has taught me valuable lessons which I in turn am teaching my young adult daughters as they prepare to leave the nest. I am thankful for our debt because as we approach our fifties it has caused us to slow down and spend more time doing meaningful and purposeful activities that don’t involve spending gobs of time in the shopping malls!
I love this idea! I am thankful for our debt because:
1) it provided my husband and I with jobs that we love and find fulfilling. We’ve gotten some amazing opportunities through these jobs like traveling to places I never dreamed of seeing, and I get to work with as a team with inspiring individuals
2) since we met in school I guess debt allowed us to meet one another, I cannot imagine a better life partner so maybe I should have put this as number 1…
3) this is kind of a cop out but I love our life and debt is just a part of how we achieved it
4) finally it allowed me to find debt blogs where I get to read the stories of inspiring people who challenge me to be a better version of myself through example