5 Unconventional Things I'm Thankful For

I started this post as a typical things I’m thankful for and I found that my list was pretty basic.  Like most people, I’m thankful for my friends and my family.  They are a tremendous source of love and support.  However, I wanted to think outside the box and find some non typical things I’m thankful for.  Here’s my top 5 in no particular order.

1.  Failure
This may seem like an odd thing to be thankful for but it is something that I’ve only recently started to embrace.  Failure is scary but inevitable.  Most of my life I’ve tried to avoid it and ended up missing out on so much.  In the end, as a human, I have managed to fail at things along the way and I’ve learned and grown so much through those experiences.  Failure not only helps you to learn from what didn’t work out but I also have found though the process of failure I have realized how much I have to be thankful for so it’s something that kind of comes full circle.

2.  Social Media
Social media is the glue that binds us together.  Whether it’s the friend you’ve reconnected with or a fellow blogger that you enjoy, social media keeps us connected in a way that wasn’t available just over a decade ago.  I’m thankful that I have the ability to share in the joy of my friends as they go through all the milestones of being an adult, even though we are miles away.  I also love how social media opened my world to so many content creators (bloggers, YouTubers, Instagramers) that I would never have know about otherwise.  Seeing the world through their eyes has inspired my creativity and provided hours of binge watching/reading/scrolling.

3.  Random Chats with Strangers
This may seem small but on days when you are caught up in your own thoughts, having a chat with a stranger can help you feel connected to the world.  It’s ironic that in an age where we can be so connected with others via social media that we can still feel disconnected from each other.  Random chats help me realize that we are all connected and in ways that don't involve a feed.

4.  Mentors Who Cared
Like most people growing up, I had times of self doubt and confusion about my future career and life in general.  Having mentors that I could talk to and believed in my abilities really motivated me to believe in myself and achieve my goals.

5.  Passionate People
There’s something about a person who is passionate about what they do that inspires you to find your own passion in life.  Their enthusiasm is magnetic and success seems to fall in their lap.  Well, I’m sure this is probably an over exaggeration but it does seem like it.  I still feel like a work in progress on this one but I feel like as I get older I’m coming closer to figuring it out (at least that’s what I’m telling myself anyway).

What are you thankful for?