“I wish I had your problems.”

Have you ever thought something like this?

Did you know that someone out there is probably thinking that very thought about YOU?

The final day of Jeff Goins’ Slow Down Challenge offers a great reminder about gratitude, even for problems.

I just received my copy of Jeff’s latest book The In-Between: Embracing the Tension Between Now and the Next Big Thing – I say received, as I was blessed to receive a copy from Michael Hyatt in a recent giveaway. (by the way, you should pick up your copy A.S.A.P. – at time of posting, it is 40% off on Amazon – HERE).

The more we “have” in life, it seems, the more trivial our problems can become.

I realized the other day when I was frustrated about the plastic inside my car door cracking. How pathetic. My big problem and complaint for the day was that my nice car had a cosmetic blemish on the inside door. Not exactly a bottom level need on Maslow Hierarchy.

I checked. http://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html

Nope, “car door cracking on late model performance luxury vehicle” is not anywhere on that list.

Never mind this is the best car I have ever owned, and I it does everything I could ever want from a car. Well, maybe except make an espresso while driving, like this car does. But other than that, I could not come up with many things I would want to change about this car at all.

But instead, I focus on the cracks in the doors. It’s almost like I a wired to look for problems.

Someone else would love to have your problems

Then I realized this – others wish they had my problems. How many people in this world wish they could drive a car? How many wish they had a car that was reliable? Or this new?

There have been several times in my life that I just wished I had a car with air conditioning during the Florida summer months.

In his Podcast “In the loop,” episode 94, Andy Andrews talks about “How to Practice Gratitude.” He tells a great story about the difference between “having to” and “getting to.”

What does this look like for you and me?

If you have a job, you don’t “have to” go to work, you “get to” go to work. Just ask someone who has been job hunting for some time how much they would like to have your problem of “having to go to work today.”

Too often it is easy to see something as a bother, rather than the blessing it truly is.

I’m thankful for my problems. With the right mindset, I think we all can find something to be grateful for about our problems.

What “problems” in your life are really things that you should be thankful for?

I appreciate your comments, thank you for reading.