Grateful, Are You Kidding Me?
Thanksgiving is a time for family, food and traditions. Some people anticipate action packed football games, grandma’s mouth-watering turkey and dressing or hanging out with friends and family. Conversations overflow with laughter and gratitude.
It is difficult to be thankful when things aren’t going the way you imagined. When remodeling a house, setbacks happen. David and Christine had been remodeling their kitchen and master suite for over 6 months. They wanted to have their house back to normal by Thanksgiving; unfortunately it didn’t happen. Remodeling was very stressful even with the best plans.
In David and Christine’s case, human error was what put them behind. When their cabinets arrived they were the wrong color. David and Christine considered making the cabinets work but in the end it just wasn’t what they envisioned.
As you know, in construction projects there are deadlines. When deadlines aren’t met, the whole project is impacted and sometimes delayed. This was the case for David and Christine. They had to reorder the cabinets and wait 8 more weeks for the new cabinets to arrive. Two days prior to the new cabinets arriving, there was a blizzard. A storm of the century dumped 4-5 feet of snow on their region. The blizzard shut highways and roads down, power outages lasted up to 10 days and contractors couldn’t keep their deadlines. What a mess!
Consequently, David and Christine knew there was no way they were going to finish their remodeling project by Thanksgiving. This was very disappointing and hard for them to appreciate the essence of Thanksgiving.
Maybe you have run into a setback and aren’t able to have Thanksgiving or other holiday gathering in your home. Don’t fret. The following three simple and useful suggestions can help you enjoy the day despite the delay.
1. Get an adjustment; an attitude adjustment. Start by looking for the positive. Notice what is good; what’s complete and what is on track. I know this may be challenging to do when you’re frustrated and disappointed. Nevertheless, you are empowered to handle disappointment by changing your perspective. You can’t change others or the situation sometimes but you can change you, your attitude and perspective.
2. Accept what is. Kathleen Casey Theisen persuasively states, “Acceptance is not submission; it is acknowledgement of the facts of a situation. Then deciding what you’re going to do about it.”
Acceptance is the key when moving from total defeat into peace. Accepting what is, (project not done by Thanksgiving) releases tension, anxiety and worry. You don’t have to like what happened; just accept it and move forward.
3. Reward Yourself. Do something nice for yourself in the midst of the mess. It doesn’t have to be expensive in order to make a difference.
· Buy something new. For David and Christine it was as simple as getting new kitchen towels and dish cloths.
· Have friends and family bring food and you provide the drink.
· If you’re kitchen isn’t usable, make the best use of it. Put one of your nice tablecloths on the floor and have a Thanksgiving picnic.
I know it’s disappointing when deadlines and expectations aren’t met. Yet, you can make the best of the situation and turn it into an adventure. Get your attitude adjustment, accept what is and appreciate the spirit of Thanksgiving. Give thanks for all you do have, the home you’re remodeling and the precious friends and family that surround you.
Have faith. You’re project will get done. Maybe not in your timing but you will get your home back in order. You will complete what you started and achieve your home remodeling project. Next year you will be able to share your home with family and friends and give thanks for all you have!