Happy Thanksgiving - what are you grateful for?

fuckin tired of negativity bias on the forums recently (or maybe always?) so let's play the gratitude game. what are you thankful for? even if you've had a rough year, this is something I try to do every single year personally because when you remember all of the things you have going for you, it can lift your mood.

let's kick this off. I'm deliberately going broad but don't feel like you can't be specific (e.g. I'm grateful for my bonus, I'm grateful that alabama didn't cover the spread on saturday, etc.)

  1. I'm grateful for having my health and for life in general, some days it beats you up, but every day I'm still here is a new challenge
  2. I'm grateful to have been born and live in the USA, I still think on balance it's the best combination of meritocracy, opportunity, and quality of life
  3. I'm grateful for books, it's a wonderful distraction from whatever's going on day to day
  4. I'm grateful for the internet and technology where I can connect with people I'd never have met otherwise, stay in touch with friends who are far flung, and can do things I'd otherwise never done or been able to do (e.g. ordered my first book in my 3rd language with a couple of taps of my fingers, didn't even have to go to italy)
  5. I'm grateful for the outdoors and the change in seasons, you see nature's death and rebirth in action, and it's a great reminder that everything is temporary
  6. I'm grateful for people, of course my wife and family over everybody, but in my travels I've had wonderful small interactions with all sorts of interesting people, and it makes me smile that on balance there's still more good than bad in the world
  7. I'm thankful for language and being able to work out ideas with others' feedback. as much as I enjoy pontificating alone, using language to work out an idea with others is infinitely more productive, fun, and gratifying

so WSO, what're you grateful for?

and I sincerely hope everyone has a happy Thanksgiving 

 
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thebrofessor

fuckin tired of negativity bias on the forums recently (or maybe always?)

2. I'm grateful to have been born and live in the USA, I still think on balance it's the best combination of meritocracy, opportunity, and quality of life

Good stuff as always brofessor, but I think you might have just torpedoed your gratefulness thread with number 2. Wait until the CCP shills see this.

 
thebrofessor

in that case I'm grateful for dissenting opinions, iron sharpens iron

Agree, iron sharpens iron but some of the dissenting opinions on this topic are about as solid as a cheap rubber dildo. 

 

Great post brofessor - always love reading your stuff. The only thing I would add to that list for me personally is my family and ESPECIALLY my dog.

Growing up I was somewhat rebellious and we had constant arguments in my house. When I went to college, I reinvented myself and decided I would associate with my family only on certain breaks (naive and stupid of me I know). As I went through college and started recruiting, partying, and drinking, I found myself missing the really simple things in life.

Nowadays I make it a point to talk to my family at least once every 2/3 days and for whatever reason I feel happier then than I did living independently with friends, girls, and money surrounding me. Every time I see them playing w my dog or just talking to me about their day to day, I unknowingly find myself with a really stupid grin on my face.

There isn’t a real point to this but for me, after disassociating with them, I really understood how important family is to me. Thankful for them always and excited to go home for break!

 

amen brother. I have a weird relationship with my family and went through a similar phase, while there are some nonstarter conversations (usually politics and life philosophy) I'm so grateful to have them in my life, and you never know when that may not be the case

I have 3 friends who've lost both parents before the age of 30 and not a single one of them laments the time they spent with family, no matter how difficult it may have been at the time

 
Most Helpful
  1. I am grateful for having my health, both physical and mental. Blessed with a strong body and mind and very lucky in that regard
  2. I am grateful for my wife and her patience. Finding your life partner, growing together, and building a life together just hits different
  3. I am grateful that both my parents are still around, even though they're not that old, and my grandparents who are that old. Not everyone can say that
  4. I am grateful to be living in the greatest country in the world (US) at a point in history when the quality of life is the highest it's ever been for humans
  5. I am grateful for my relative financial prosperity and the options it has opened to me as well as the free time it has unlocked
 

Love this and happy thanksgiving! I'm super thankful for my family, girlfriend, new puppy, and new job at a great firm. I remember praying for the day to get out of my previous relationship, and now just almost 2 years in with my current girlfriend and I have never met someone who makes me happier. Our puppy can be an annoying shit sometimes, but I love her to death. And this new role may be a lot to handle for me now, but I'm very thankful to be in such a great position that'll let me do a lot in the future.

 

Things I'm grateful for:

  1. thebrofessor -  I don't think I've read a bad post/comment from you yet. And thanks for starting this post.
  2. Greencard - I'm an immigrant and I got it this year.
  3. My immediate family - I live for my wife and kid.
  4. Bad Luck turning into Good Luck - This has been a terrible year by any measure. However, I've been crazy lucky that a few key things that could / should have screwed me ended up being VERY beneficial.
  5. Health - not to be taken for granted. Especially in this environment.
 

I'm grateful for my family and parents. 

"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee
 

I'm grateful for a lot this year... family, work, and in my personal life, there's a lot I can really be thankful for. Honestly, the older I get, I think it gets easier to distill my gratitude down into its true essence... finding happiness, kindness, and warmth in this crazy world despite the chaos around us. Every year I end up being thankful for the same thing though. I'm thankful to have my health and the ability to find something that makes me smile, laugh, and enjoy, or be there to help someone else find a reason to smile, laugh, and enjoy, no matter how shitty things may be, each and every day because joy can be found in the little things around us. If I'm not finding joy for myself, then it is being there to help bring joy unto others. As awful as the world is, kindness and warmth go a long way. 

 

im actually thankful for WSO. I found this website back in march when I was starting to think about finance more seriously as a career, and this has been so much help. Thank you Patrick and the WSO team for creating such a valuable and helpful platform.

 
shakethatmoneymaker

im actually thankful for WSO. I found this website back in march when I was starting to think about finance more seriously as a career, and this has been so much help. Thank you Patrick and the WSO team for creating such a valuable and helpful platform.

Yeah you were lucky to find them. I didn’t have WSO in college and had to navigate on my own completely. I only knew a couple of alums in finance NYC and they taught me almost everything about the industry and partying in NYC.

"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee
 

"I didn't have WSO in college and had to navigate on my own completely."

I'll second that one. I only got lucky that a family friend was in PWM and asked me to intern during college (that I'm of course thankful for). Fast-forward and along comes WSO to help brighten things up. So I'm also definitely thankful for WSO and the off the cuff wisdom more senior members will chime in with on the most seemingly esoteric topics/questions.

The poster formerly known as theAudiophile. Just turned up to 11, like the stereo.
 

Grateful every time I eat and everytime I drink. It is a gift not all on earth are given.

"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee
 

I'm grateful for mortgage interest deductibility, HSAs, and Fios being cheaper in my new place then my inconsistent shit internet where I used to live.

I'm grateful for making some new friends this year that probably will be lifelong.

I'm grateful for prayer and meditation and discovering traditional Latin masses.

I'm grateful for EDM concerts.

Quant (ˈkwänt) n: An expert, someone who knows more and more about less and less until they know everything about nothing.
 

I'm grateful for my beautiful girlfriend and our hilarious but troublesome dog.

I'm grateful that my friends and family are in good health.

I'm grateful that I've been able to hang out with so many friends and family members throughout 2021. I literally have not had a weekend without plans to see an old college buddy, go to a friends wedding, have my parents or siblings stay at our place for the weekend since May and it's been amazing.

I'm grateful that there's snow in Vermont so I can snowboard over Thanksgiving weekend.

I'm grateful I work for a bank where I rarely work on weekends.

 
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Great idea for a post and the contribution to turn around the generally negative attitude in the air. Posts like this is what makes the brofessor the brofessor!

  • My dog. I got him as company during the pandemic and he has turned me around in many, many different ways, more than I could have imagined. I used to make fun of those "who rescued who?" stickers, but I get it now. 
  • My new girlfriend. I made one last attempt at online dating (not just hooking up, but actual dating) and it has resulted in meeting an amazing woman with a great mind and fantastic body. I am grateful for her and her "healthy" bust. 
  • This past year I've tried to be grateful by pointing out all my "first world problems" and that has helped. I'm grateful to live in a nation where we have so many things that are simple but so many other people across the world just do not have. 
  • My job. Sure, no job is perfect. But I still believe I work for a great company and enjoy the work I do and I think I'm compensated fairly. I realize not everyone can say that and I'm grateful for it. 
 

I didn't use anything special, just Match. Feel free to see my reply in the other OLD thread that is going around right now but basically (1) know what it's important to you and stand by it and (2) realize that OLD is a long-term thing, its going to take a bit to find the right partner. I had my relationship deal breakers (no tattoos, no pot) and I stuck by them, knowing that everyone is not for me. Also, give good manners and expect good manners from your potential partners. If someone showed poor manners or a bad attitude, I cut them off right away. I believe that when you hold yourself accountable to both of those standards then online dating starts to make a lot more sense. 

 

What a great thread. Thanks for the prompt, thebrofessor.

I'm grateful that I get to hear my child's laughter every day.

We are an incredibly fortunate family - my kids are safe, warm, fed, and loved. It's easy to say my wife and I work hard to create that home for them, but the underlying truth is that we're the beneficiaries of much more than our own efforts. I'm grateful for our parents, our community, and our country for their collective role in creating a happy home for us.

"Son, life is hard. But it's harder if you're stupid." - my dad
 

I’m grateful I’ve never had to be tortured - that would be the worst.

"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee
 
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The irony of those screeching ''Nazi'' to everyone that disagrees with them, eventually started putting the latter into camps for being against the science du jour. Exactly like Nazis.

edit, sorry bro for not respecting the rules of the thread, gonna call for the Cuomo defense

Never discuss with idiots, first they drag you at their level, then they beat you with experience.
 

Always a pleasure to read your post thebrofessor.  

1.  Grateful to have access to be able to eat everyday - meals I am able to afford and enjoy.

2.  Health - I took a turn for the worse many years ago.  I am grateful that I am at least, more physically fit and able to do more as I am healthier.  This allows me not only to be able to work full-time, but also support my family and friends.

3.  I am grateful for the internet, technology, and access to information I never thought I would be able to have access to.

4.  My family and friends - there are cherished memories created over time that reminds us of who we are.

5.  Being born in the USA.  I feel this is the best nation that provides the most opportunities.

 
I'm grateful to have been born and live in the USA, I still think on balance it's the best combination of meritocracy, opportunity, and quality of life

This. I don't think people truly realize how grateful they should be for this. Or anyone else born in Canada, EU, or another 1st world country. More than half this world lives in poverty or poor conditions. Many don't even have political freedom or even free will depending on the country. Some of the hardest decisions you had to make were should you take that job offer or not, whereas people in other countries have to decide what expense to cut to feed their family. Your birth in this country is simply luck. Appreciate it because there is someone who would be grateful for that opportunity and many die trying just to come here for it.

Array
 

Thanks for this brofessor! It's easy to take our privileges in life for granted, and nice to remind ourselves of them. Personally, I am thankful for:

1) My parents. Although they can annoy me at times, I could easily have been born an orphan or in some other dysfunctional situation. And at the end of the day, we love each other.

2) My friends. I think I would have gone mad now without them. Every time I try to distance myself from them or get depressed, they are always there to splash cold water in my face and make me feel a lot better. I can always bet on smiling and laughing when I spend time with them.

3) Financial situation. I graduated debt free from a great college; I realize many students have to pay off student loans after college, and it can cause a lot of pressure an anxiety. My parents fully paid for my education and fully paid off a brand new car for me. I realize this is extremely privileged and I'm (of course) thankful for that. My parents have also taken me on several luxurious vacations around the world, and I have friends that have yet to step on a plane.

4) My health. Apart from some asthma and anxiety, I (knock on wood) have not had any serious health problems. It always breaks my heart when I hear of people my age dropping dead from random stuff like an aneurysm or heart attack, or late-stage cancer. It's scary stuff, and I'm thankful for every day that I get to live, because life is short and can be fickle. 

5) Being born in the US. As others have already said, no, I'm not ignorant or crazy enough to believe that the US is this amazing, superb nation with no problems. There's a lot we can do to improve. But on the whole? The US is still an amazing country and I'm so blessed that my parents immigrated here to give me a good life.

 

I'm grateful for constantly striving to connect with The Creator of the Universe. I'm grateful for being alive, I'm grateful for my health, my family, my friends and for everything good that happens to them.

I'm Also grateful for my values and my experiences where those same values have been a handicap to know where I need to stay off. I'm grateful for my persistence in trying to do the right thing no matter how bad things look.

I'm grateful for having the means to have a roof to live under and to follow a healthy diet. I'm grateful for my business and my job and my determination to not settle down for the lowest hanging fruits in life, I'm grateful for my love for a constant learning and the plenty of opportunities to do so through internet too. I'm grateful for practicing brazilian jiujitsu and stick to the training routine regularly with optimal health and fitness.

I'm grateful for living in a country without an open armed conflict, I'm also grateful for all the people that I encounter that have empathy on other human beings and speak against injustices and the manipulation of society to transform it in a pagan cattle of brainless slaves where the fertile family of father mother and children have things worse everyday and are threatened by the govts through education, healtcare and further policies.

I'm grateful for have been able to travel the world and meet wonderful people and I'm also grateful for the hard times because have teached me the value of the good ones and transformed me in the person that I'm today, of course not perfect but as real as it gets. And at last I'm also grateful for this post that has allowed me to express the things for which I'm grateful in life.

 

Honestly, I think the internet is one of the best things that’s ever happened to humanity. It democratized knowledge in large ways, where pretty much if you have an interest in any subject you can find information on it regardless of your financial status, background, geographic location … etc. For instance, you can get access to some of the best teachers in the world/ almost unlimited information through either your own computer or through a public one if you can’t afford it. This means that as long as you have the will to learn, you have the opportunity to do so - which is pretty amazing. I’m grateful for websites like WSO who provides all these interesting forums, as well as Reddit, YouTube, blogs and other free stuff. Feel a bit sad I didn’t notice this when I was younger but now it’s all about prioritizing what to do with my time and using these resources to help me achieve my goals. Great post brofessor.

 

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Never discuss with idiots, first they drag you at their level, then they beat you with experience.
 

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