November 25, 2025 • 40 mins
The holidays can be loud: budgets stretched, schedules stacked, emotions running hot. We wanted a quieter center, so we started with a playful tour of Thanksgiving—deviled eggs, green bean casserole, and the eternal stuffing versus dressing debate—and followed it straight into the heart of the season: how to choose gratitude when life feels heavy.
We open up about a tough morning where financial stress and work strain kicked off a spiral, and how a single question—“Tell me one thing you’re thankful for”—helped us find the floor again. From a grandbaby’s ruffle pajamas to the surprise of birdsong during a car repair, we trace the small anchors that shift perspective. Gratitude isn’t a slogan here; it’s a tool you can pick up in real relationships. We talk about contentment without complacency, how a daily gratitude list can rewire your outlook, and why naming specific thanks to your partner—“Thanks for loading the dishwasher”—can change the tone of a home.
You’ll hear stories that feel familiar: the pressure to give, the sting of grief during gatherings, the mess of laundry that never quite gets folded. We don’t gloss over any of it. Instead, we map out simple practices you can try today: a 10‑day, five‑item gratitude list; a daily text naming two things you appreciate; letting your community reflect good back to you when you can’t see it yourself. Along the way we offer a book that shaped our thinking and invite you to borrow our habits while you build your own.
If the season feels like too much, you’re not alone. Press play for practical, real-world ways to steady your mindset, strengthen your relationships, and find joy in the smallest details. If this helped, tap follow, share it with a friend who needs a lift, and leave a quick review so more people can find the show.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_02 (00:00):
Hey guys, what's up?
I'm Greg.
Hope you guys are ready tounpack and get into some good
conversations tonight.
SPEAKER_05 (00:07):
And I'm Jess, and this is our podcast on Baggage
Claim.
Thank you for joining us.
SPEAKER_02 (00:17):
What's up, Baggage Claim?
How's everybody doing today?
I'm so excited that you guyshave decided to join us.
You know, if you if you're newto Baggage Claim, this is a
place where we're hoping tocreate some conversations,
community around marriage,blended families, relationships,
all those fun things.
If you're a natural here andyou've been at baggage claim a
(00:40):
while, just thank you, grab yourfavorite drink, whatever that
is, pull up to the table withus.
And uh grab your chair, pull up.
If you're driving in the car,whatever you're doing, then you
know, just in your mind, kind ofpull up to the table with us and
let's get into some funconversation.
This is for you guys who may notbe watching it on video, this is
our Thanksgiving edition.
(01:02):
And so we have Thanksgiving crapeverywhere.
SPEAKER_05 (01:06):
Thanksgiving decorations.
Uh Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving crap.
SPEAKER_03 (01:10):
No, it's good decorations.
Yeah, it's okay.
I use that same term as well.
SPEAKER_05 (01:14):
Our social media marketing director did a
phenomenal job.
I don't know what your title is.
What is your title?
Creative directory.
SPEAKER_03 (01:22):
The Miranda Director.
SPEAKER_05 (01:23):
The Miranda Director.
The creative director.
SPEAKER_02 (01:25):
So I got into a discussion on what the this horn
with all this crap falling outof it.
I thought it was called a horn,and I was told it was.
SPEAKER_03 (01:38):
Nobody knows your head.
Like if you it sounds like aneye disease.
Huh?
Sounds like an eye disease.
SPEAKER_05 (01:44):
Or it's called a horn of plenty.
SPEAKER_03 (01:46):
Horn of plenty.
SPEAKER_05 (01:47):
Yeah, it has two names.
SPEAKER_02 (01:48):
It was weird.
So anyway, we're talking aboutThanksgiving.
This is a Thanksgiving episode,which is weird for us to say
because we started in February,and I didn't know that we'd
still be doing thisThanksgiving.
SPEAKER_03 (02:04):
We were literally like, oh, we'll do like two
episodes and see how it goes ifwe want to keep doing it.
SPEAKER_02 (02:08):
And here we are.
SPEAKER_05 (02:09):
What happens is we've added more countries.
SPEAKER_02 (02:12):
38 episodes later.
And uh yeah, we had enough.
For you guys who uh foreveryone's in Finland who
listened to us this past week,yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (02:20):
Thank you.
SPEAKER_02 (02:21):
Uh you guys are awesome.
I actually am watching anepisode of a guy not an episode
of Finnish guy like a littleseries thing.
Yeah, a guy in Finland whobought an island and is building
a log cabin.
So, bro, if this is you, broshut your mouth.
Shut your mouth.
SPEAKER_05 (02:36):
Yeah, message Greg because he will have a heart
attack.
SPEAKER_02 (02:39):
Yes, I absolutely love watching your uh you're
building a really big house,bro.
SPEAKER_05 (02:43):
Like I saw some of it.
That house is big.
It's really cool by your all byyourself.
SPEAKER_02 (02:47):
Anyway, so let's jump into our fun uh
Thanksgiving episode that we'rehaving fun.
SPEAKER_05 (02:54):
Thanksgiving's not always fun, though, for some
friends.
SPEAKER_02 (02:57):
I'm gonna have fun right now until we probably get
into the conversation.
SPEAKER_05 (03:00):
Okay, it's fun right now.
SPEAKER_02 (03:01):
We're gonna have fun until we go.
SPEAKER_04 (03:03):
Okay, having so much fun.
SPEAKER_02 (03:04):
So you know what time it is?
SPEAKER_04 (03:06):
Question time.
SPEAKER_02 (03:08):
Who are you saying this time?
I didn't, but it wasn't verywell.
Yeah, you did great.
That's fine.
So um I have a I do have aquestion, and it is around
Thanksgiving.
So Thanksgiving does bring abouta weird emotions.
It could be happy, it could besad, it could be excitement.
SPEAKER_05 (03:23):
Not necessarily weird, but a big range of
emotions.
SPEAKER_02 (03:26):
That's true.
Thank you.
Thank you for helping me choosemy words wisely.
Um I didn't choose my wordswisely, but you helped correct.
SPEAKER_05 (03:33):
Anyway, my question is I'm a teacher, that's what we
do.
SPEAKER_02 (03:36):
What is your favorite all-time go-to
Thanksgiving food?
What is the one thing atThanksgiving that you would
absolutely you just absolutelylove?
So I I'm I'm gonna say though,Thanksgiving.
I love Thanksgiving.
SPEAKER_05 (03:54):
You do.
SPEAKER_02 (03:54):
I love Thanksgiving because there's no presents.
There's uh it's just about thefood and it's just about the the
hanging out.
SPEAKER_05 (04:02):
Just being together.
SPEAKER_02 (04:03):
Yeah, just being together.
There's no exchange of anything.
We don't have to buy gifts, wedon't have to do anything.
We're just gonna be together andjust eat some good food.
So you guys got anything?
What's your favorite food?
SPEAKER_05 (04:14):
Um, well, before uh we lost Nanny, her dressing was
my favorite.
SPEAKER_02 (04:21):
Her dressing?
SPEAKER_05 (04:22):
Mm-hmm.
SPEAKER_02 (04:23):
Her dressing.
Nanny always used to give mecrap about how I would do the
turkey.
We do the turkey every year, andevery year she would stand by my
side and just give me a coupleof things.
I'll try to post a picture.
I'll try to post a picture ofthe two of us and see.
And she would give me crap everyyear.
You shouldn't do that, Greg.
You should do it like this.
I was like, Nanny, you want todo this?
SPEAKER_05 (04:45):
No, well, that's why you're here.
She would say.
SPEAKER_01 (04:48):
But we had such a blast.
SPEAKER_05 (04:49):
I do love deviled eggs, though.
That's another deviled eggs.
What's the impressive?
SPEAKER_03 (04:53):
You can't just pick like one food.
It's more like what foods can'tgo, can you not go without?
Like you have to have forThanksgiving.
You know what's weird is I don'tlove turkey.
SPEAKER_05 (05:03):
No, you don't.
SPEAKER_03 (05:04):
I do.
I love turkey.
I love turkey.
It's too dry to me.
No, give me that dark meatstuff.
SPEAKER_05 (05:11):
I don't dry.
SPEAKER_03 (05:13):
My dad always does the injection stuff too, so it's
like crazy juicy.
Well, I've tried that too.
SPEAKER_05 (05:18):
Your stepdad likes to always deep fry one, and
that's really good.
SPEAKER_03 (05:21):
The smoked one is really good.
SPEAKER_05 (05:23):
Smoked one's weird.
It changes the flavor too.
SPEAKER_03 (05:25):
If we take out like turkey, because I feel like
turkey and ham should just belike a like that's part of
Thanksgiving.
Like that's just a no-brainer.
Green bean casserole.
That's such a southern thing.
SPEAKER_02 (05:37):
Yes.
If you're below the basic Dixieline, green bean casserole is
everyone's and stuffing.
Stuffing.
Stuffing versus dressing.
SPEAKER_03 (05:48):
But is it not the same?
No, it's not.
Bro, come on.
So tell me, tell me what's thedifference then?
Because I've always donestuffing.
I thought that was a good thing.
SPEAKER_00 (05:55):
Our studio audience is stuffing is what is inside of
the turkey.
Dressing is what is made in thecasserole.
SPEAKER_02 (06:02):
It's like a plate, like it's in the pan.
SPEAKER_05 (06:04):
It's got a mixture of like cornbread, love bread,
like 7,000 seasonings.
SPEAKER_03 (06:11):
So just how you cook it is the only difference?
Yes.
SPEAKER_05 (06:13):
Yeah, and Greg's mom.
SPEAKER_03 (06:16):
Yeah, like within the turkey itself.
Yeah, stuffing goes in theturkey.
SPEAKER_00 (06:20):
Like corn and everything that you have on
Thanksgiving cooked inside ofthe turkey.
SPEAKER_03 (06:26):
Yeah.
But then there's some familieslike See, we'll use the broth
from the turkey itself to makethe stuffing.
Or technically, I guessdressing.
I guess it's dressing.
So what I'm referring to wouldactually technically the
dressing.
Yeah, it's in a panel.
SPEAKER_02 (06:39):
And then you scoop it out with a spoon.
Is it solid?
Is it more so like stuffing ismore fluffy, not as solid.
SPEAKER_05 (06:46):
Like dressing is more like stove top stuffing
that's kind of trying toreplicate like stuffing from the
inside of the bird.
SPEAKER_03 (06:53):
No, we always but we use the instead of doing like
chicken broth, we always get theoils from the bird and make it
with that stuff.
That's yeah, it's a typicaldressing.
SPEAKER_05 (07:01):
That's dressing.
That you put in or dressing.
SPEAKER_03 (07:04):
Dressing.
SPEAKER_02 (07:06):
That's my favorite thing.
SPEAKER_05 (07:08):
Thank goodness Greg's mom will make one
dressing that's like normal andthen the other one has normal
celery in it.
SPEAKER_02 (07:15):
It doesn't have celery in it.
It's like why are you dressing?
Why not use dressing?
Why are you putting salad crapin here?
No, uh salad.
SPEAKER_05 (07:24):
It's just leave the celery doing that.
I have a backup question.
SPEAKER_02 (07:28):
Nobody wants celery at Thanksgiving.
Thank you.
SPEAKER_05 (07:30):
Or a follow-up.
SPEAKER_02 (07:31):
I can tell you this.
The guys who still over herewere not just like, bruh, I
would love to have some celery.
No.
I would love to have that.
SPEAKER_03 (07:39):
Greg's got to answer first, though, because I want to
hear your question, but Greg'sgot an answer because he didn't
eat it.
Mine was dressing.
SPEAKER_02 (07:44):
Oh, dressing.
SPEAKER_03 (07:45):
Can't go without dressing.
SPEAKER_02 (07:46):
Dressing in ham, I'll eat my weight in
Thanksgiving.
SPEAKER_05 (07:48):
Make ourselves sick.
Okay.
Um, are you food touching onyour plate or food not touching
on your plate?
SPEAKER_02 (07:56):
All mixed.
Thanksgiving, it's all powerful.
All mixed in.
Because I like cranberry likethat cranberries.
Oh, yes.
Even the stuff that comes in thecan, they just cut it.
SPEAKER_05 (08:05):
It has to be that.
SPEAKER_02 (08:06):
And I know that I can put little ridges in the
side of it.
Cranberries earlier.
SPEAKER_03 (08:10):
But Thanksgiving, I will eat a whole can of
cranberries.
SPEAKER_01 (08:13):
It's just so crazy.
SPEAKER_03 (08:14):
I love it.
I don't ever eat cranberriesever.
SPEAKER_05 (08:17):
And I don't love it, but yeah, I grew up that it has
to be the can.
You have to slice it.
I don't mind if my food touches.
I don't want it to mix.
Our oldest daughter, Callie, andshe probably still is this way.
I don't know.
I'll have to ask her when we seeher this weekend, but she used
to want everything like soseparated.
Like she would have loved tohave like a like a lunchroom
(08:39):
tray.
SPEAKER_01 (08:40):
Yeah, she loved it divine.
She loved it divine.
SPEAKER_05 (08:43):
So that nothing would touch.
And she would eat one thing at atime around her plate.
And I'm just like, I bouncedaround here and there and here
and there.
I do that.
SPEAKER_02 (08:51):
Sometimes like I'll get focused on something and
I'll eat that and then I'll turnthe plate.
You do not have to do that.
You get her the other sideplate.
So probably just some of thatfor me.
SPEAKER_03 (09:00):
But I will say though, like Thanksgiving is a
great time to try things.
Yeah.
Right.
So if I can add another food,sweet potato casserole.
Oh God.
SPEAKER_02 (09:09):
That is a must-have for Thanksgiving.
Sweet potato casserole is prettygood.
SPEAKER_03 (09:13):
Because I will say this like, try the different
combinations, right?
So like try a little bit ofsweet potato casserole with the
dressing.
SPEAKER_05 (09:19):
I'm a texture girl.
SPEAKER_03 (09:20):
Or then try some of the sweet potato casserole with
the green bean casserole.
SPEAKER_05 (09:24):
No.
SPEAKER_03 (09:25):
Oh my goodness.
SPEAKER_05 (09:26):
Casseroles get a little mushy for me.
That's a little mushy territory.
SPEAKER_03 (09:29):
Jess is not a mixer.
Oh, I'm a mixer, man.
She's not a mixer.
SPEAKER_02 (09:32):
I'll try that sometimes, but I'm just like,
see what happens.
SPEAKER_03 (09:36):
Right?
No, but hey, that's all I'masking for.
See what happens.
If you like it, you like it.
If you don't, don't do it again,you know?
SPEAKER_02 (09:41):
Yeah, it's true.
Yeah.
So, I mean, with all that beingsaid, Thanksgiving, the idea is
that it's a time where we get togive thanks.
Uh, which is something that innormal day life, it's just life
is so busy, so hectic, so crazy.
We don't stop to actually thinkabout what we're thankful for.
SPEAKER_01 (10:03):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (10:03):
And so, and so many times in life, Thanksgiving can
be like overwhelming withpreparing, getting ready with
family.
SPEAKER_05 (10:13):
Um well, especially if it's family that you aren't
with often, that's awkward forsome.
I mean, our families, we alllive in the same vicinity.
So we we see each other often.
Well, I say we all.
I mean, we've got kids scatteredhere and there, but
predominantly all of us livearound here.
It's we don't go months andmonths and months or a year
(10:35):
without seeing our familymembers.
So that's not awkward for usalways, but there's some folks.
SPEAKER_02 (10:40):
I mean, that's there's a lot of people out
there who don't.
SPEAKER_05 (10:44):
You see them on holidays and that's it.
So that that's kind that can getkind of weird, I think.
SPEAKER_02 (10:47):
Yeah, because it makes it weird because then
you're like, okay, what are wetalking about?
What do we talk about?
What do we don't talk about?
What is off limits um when itcomes to sitting around the
table?
Which is, I mean, we could do awhole episode on just uh which I
suggested uh dealing within-laws.
Um how do you deal with in-laws?
And um hopefully we tackle thathopefully we tackle that topic
(11:11):
sometime soon over uh theholidays because you spend more
time with in-laws probablyduring the holiday season than
you do any other time.
Um my hope is is that ourin-laws, I say ours, but our
son-in-laws and daughter-in-lawsfeel comfortable enough that
they can be open and honest withus and just be real.
So we try to create that, butthat doesn't mean we always do.
(11:34):
So but we're gonna talk, we'regonna try to focus on gratitude
and what does gratitude looklike?
What does gratitude mean?
Um you you don't happen to haveyour phone with you, do you?
SPEAKER_05 (11:48):
No.
SPEAKER_02 (11:48):
Ah, great.
Uh, because we were talkingabout uh gratitude earlier, and
we looked up some things abouthow uh gratitude is kind of like
I want you to think about it asa like I we want to help give
you a tool.
SPEAKER_05 (12:01):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (12:01):
Like I always say, hey, I do a lot of handyman
projects right now.
It's kind of my I don't knowwhy, but that's where I'm at in
life.
And so it's my truck is full oftools.
There's literally a um, there'sa multi-tool, there's a chop
saw, there's a paint sprayer,um, there is a there's wood
(12:24):
hanging out the back of it.
No, I took it out.
There was a couple of laddersout of the bag.
There was I mean.
Yeah, I have uh I probably haveeight boxes of screws.
I have stuff for painting.
There's so many tools in mytruck.
SPEAKER_04 (12:37):
Yes.
SPEAKER_02 (12:38):
I could roll up and be like, oh yeah, let's get on
this.
And some of it's organized, someof it's not.
Um gratitude, I want you tothink about gratitude.
SPEAKER_05 (12:45):
Meanwhile, there's a car seat in my truck, in my
jeans.
And a stroller.
I have a car seat and astroller.
So but I want to stagger in mylife.
SPEAKER_02 (12:53):
I want you to think about gratitude as a as a tool.
SPEAKER_05 (12:57):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (12:57):
Like a hammer or a screwdriver or a drill.
Um, that's how my mind works.
So I know if you're not handy,you probably don't get that
idea.
But think of it as a tool that Ican use.
I'm not always gonna use it, butsometimes it's very helpful.
Um, but gratitude is a tool thatyou can use in your
relationships, whether it behusband, wife, uh, work
(13:18):
relationships, uh, whateverrelationship that you have.
Um and so we're gonna kind ofdig into that idea of gratitude.
What does it look like?
How does it work?
How do you use it in yourrelationship?
And uh what's the benefits ofit?
And what are the I don't know,what are the what what makes it
hard?
Why is it so hard for us to begrateful for what it is that we
(13:38):
have?
SPEAKER_05 (13:38):
Well, I mean, we could be start off with a very
personal example.
SPEAKER_02 (13:43):
Oh, we're going like hardcore, like real life
situation right now, right offthe get-go.
I mean, why not?
Yeah, let's start with that.
SPEAKER_05 (13:50):
Yeah.
This morning, I was feeling umvery um stressed out.
I was overwhelmed.
I had was already at work.
SPEAKER_02 (14:00):
Do you wanna do you wanna I mean if we're being
honest?
I'm sorry.
I have something in my throat.
So sorry for the clearing of mythroat.
SPEAKER_01 (14:08):
It's okay.
SPEAKER_02 (14:09):
But if we're being honest, what were you like what
were you s so anxious about orconcerned about?
SPEAKER_05 (14:14):
It's for you and I, it's a tough season financially
right now.
There's a lot going on.
I think God is teaching us to bewish we could go ahead and learn
the lesson.
SPEAKER_02 (14:25):
Apparently, we really suck at learning lessons.
SPEAKER_05 (14:27):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (14:28):
But it's just teaching us to live in the
moment.
SPEAKER_05 (14:30):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (14:31):
Like there's not a um there's not a lot of
security.
SPEAKER_05 (14:35):
Um we don't have a big game plan currently.
SPEAKER_02 (14:37):
No, and that's okay because I I say it's okay.
I'm maybe I'm trying to pep talkmyself.
SPEAKER_05 (14:42):
Well, it is okay because you've always been a
good steward of what we do have,and I trust you in that and your
leadership.
But I just had a moment thismorning, I was just like, my
mind went nuts with making thiswhole big list of all these
things that are happening thatwe need to do.
And then obviously we're comingup on the holidays and all the
things that I we want to buy anddo and give, and just this the
(15:06):
list just was multiplying.
And I'm there's is I'm in a verystressful season at school with
learning some new curriculum.
It was just like pile and pileand pile and layer and layer and
layer.
SPEAKER_02 (15:19):
Do you think everybody, maybe not everybody,
but a lot of people who arelistening feel the exact same
way?
SPEAKER_05 (15:24):
Oh, yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (15:24):
Because you're feeling the stress of the
holidays coming up, and you'relike, oh man, if money's tight,
I gotta spend money, I gotta buygifts, I gotta go places that's
gonna cost me money.
I gotta I gotta all these otherthings I gotta do, and money's
already.
SPEAKER_05 (15:38):
On top of just making ends meet, like just
regular life is expensive.
SPEAKER_02 (15:42):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_05 (15:42):
Even if you do it frugally like we do, it's just
hard.
SPEAKER_02 (15:47):
Because that stress, whether you say it or not, that
stress translates into how youcommunicate, how you operate
with your significant other orother relationships in your
life.
Yeah.
So go ahead.
SPEAKER_05 (15:59):
I was going about my morning before the littles got
there, and I just texted you.
I was like, I'm feeling veryoverwhelmed about this and this.
Can you please help me?
Help me like, I can't rememberhow I phrased it.
Just please help me not to, orwhatever I said.
I was like, I need a lifeline.
SPEAKER_02 (16:19):
I think it very much was, which is so interesting
because you texted me, and todaywas kind of a unique opportunity
for me in handyman stuff becausemy mom asked me if I would do
some bush hogging around mygrandparents.
They still have their old farm.
And so I spent the day, and ifyou're in Georgia today, the
(16:39):
high was 48, I think.
So it was cold.
SPEAKER_05 (16:42):
So I spent if it got that high though, it was cold.
SPEAKER_02 (16:46):
So I was on a tractor um bush hogging on old
family farmland, not like hay,but just cleaning up and doing
some things.
And it was kind of a is a veryinteresting spot for me because
that's a place where it helps meremember what it used to be like
when I was a kid there when I'mthere, and it's just it's so
(17:06):
calming, but yet so peaceful forme just to be there.
SPEAKER_05 (17:09):
So when you texted that, I was like, Well, you said
uh tell me one thing you'rethankful for.
And I was like, Yeah, I did gostraight to I don't know what it
was, but I'm not thankful foranything right this very second.
SPEAKER_02 (17:22):
I was like, okay, so if you're if you're stressed
about money, you're stressedabout these situations, tell me
something you're thankful for.
SPEAKER_05 (17:28):
It took me a few minutes.
SPEAKER_02 (17:29):
It did.
You I think you texted back.
Uh it's really hard for me tosee that right now.
SPEAKER_05 (17:33):
Uh-huh, I didn't.
SPEAKER_02 (17:34):
And just kind of uh and so then I was I didn't text
back.
SPEAKER_05 (17:38):
No.
SPEAKER_02 (17:38):
And then you texted like three or four other things,
and then finally you said Yeah.
SPEAKER_05 (17:43):
Well, first I said, of course, I went straight to
Lulu.
Yes, our grandbaby.
She's 15 months old now, and sheis walking and starting to talk
and put phrases together.
And I said, I was rememberingliterally last night after bath
time, she was walking around inher ruffle butt pajamas, and she
just looked at it was me and youand Miranda, because Thomas was
(18:06):
at the fire station, and shelooked at us and she started
waving and she said, Nightnight, bye-bye.
And started walking towards thehouse.
She was walking towards thedoor, she was like, I'm out,
guys.
And it was right at 7:30.
It was her night-night time, andshe was just telling us, okay, I
gotta go.
And so I was just saying howthankful I am that she's healthy
(18:26):
and that she's learning so fast.
And then I said, I'm thankfulfor you.
SPEAKER_02 (18:30):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_05 (18:31):
I mean, those are just two easy things to say.
I'm thankful for.
SPEAKER_02 (18:34):
But I think too, like for me, it was when I think
about, because it's so easy tosee all the crap that we're in,
because I don't care whereyou're at, in what stage of life
if you're in, if you're in your50s, 40s, 30s, even if you're in
your 20s, you're you're probablyyou're probably neck deep in
some kind of crap that's goingon right now.
(18:55):
Yeah.
Uh there's a lot of people whoare out there who are probably
struggling because of thegovernment shutdown when I know
that they said, hey, snap, andthere's no more money, and
people were freaking out, going,How are we gonna feed our kids?
Like that's a I get it, that's areal life scenario.
Um there's there's there'sstress everywhere.
And it's easy for us sometimesto focus on those things, and we
(19:15):
just get so bogged down on itthat we forget to be grateful
for the things that we do have.
We always because life andsocial media and all the other
things want to tell us all thethings we should be going for
and what we should have.
Yeah, like you should be doingthis.
And I'm trust me, I'm as guiltyas anybody about pushing myself
(19:36):
for more.
Not more stuff, like it's notmore stuff, but more
productivity, be more efficient,be better at this, be a better
dad, be a better husband, be setunrealistic expectations on
yourself.
Yes, I 100% do.
Yeah, uh, I feel like a ChevyChase moment there when you say
that, but it's so true.
When have I ever learned thatthese are some unrealistic
(20:01):
expectations?
And so it's trying to reel thatin, but I I I say this, I I
don't want to use his last name,but there's this guy, John, I
met two years ago.
Man, he just got out of rehaband he had heard me speak
somewhere, and he said, Greg, Idon't have a sponsor.
(20:22):
Would you be like a sponsor forme?
Um and just hold me accountablefor the things that are going
on.
And he's like, this was and sowe sit down, we had, and he told
me his situation, his story.
I could pull up my phone rightnow, yeah, and for the last two
years, every single day, thisguy rides on a pad at least ten
(20:43):
things and sends you a pictureand takes a picture of it and
sends it to me every single dayof ten things he's grateful for.
And man, every time I I and Ido, I read John.
I don't even know if you listento this, I don't even know if
you listen to podcasts or haveever, but that thing is it it
one, it reminds me of where I'vebeen.
Yeah, it reminds me of of theidea of the things I do have
(21:05):
that I am grateful for.
Yeah.
It's one of those most powerfulthings that if we just reached
out and just sometimes just talkto our friends and said, Hey,
I'm grateful for you for this.
It's a powerful, powerful toolthat we don't use.
Um but I read this guy's thingsthat he's grateful for, and it
just helps me shift myperspective and go, okay, Greg,
(21:28):
stop feeling sorry for yourself,quit kicking yourself.
Okay, yeah, things aren't great.
They're not where you want themto be, but bro, look what you do
have.
Like let's take them in and lookwhat you do have.
SPEAKER_05 (21:38):
Well, after we had talked about this is gonna be
our subject tonight, and I wasjust kind of looking back
because we like to look back atthe last, you know, few
episodes, handful of episodes.
And of course I'm not gonna findit now because yep, there it is.
I wrote down again, I havementioned this book so many
times.
(21:58):
Um, that 1000 gifts by AnneVoskamp, because that was a book
somebody gave me when I was umin my grief portion of my
journey.
And it truly did change my lifeand the way I looked at stuff.
And I'm just sitting herethinking to myself, listening to
you was like, I need to readthat book again.
I do.
Because I need to be reminded.
SPEAKER_02 (22:19):
I'll tell you this.
I don't even know how much thebook costs, but I'll tell you
this.
If you if you go to our socialmedia and and you send us a
message on social media, one ofour socials, like all of our
baggage claim socials, if you goto one of our socials and just
say, Hey, I'd love to read thebook.
SPEAKER_05 (22:37):
Now a lot of her um the way she writes, the the
language she uses is kind offancy here and there.
So you have to kind of look pastthat.
But then there's other parts,it's just like so simple.
It's just like yes, I can what'sthe name of the book again?
One thousand gifts by AnneBoskamp.
unknown (22:57):
Okay.
SPEAKER_05 (22:58):
But it's simple things like Did you hear that
bird singing when you just wentto get the mail?
Thank you for that.
Or the beautiful color of thetrees right now, you know, thank
you.
Like just simple.
SPEAKER_02 (23:11):
Well, I think if we the the problem with being
grateful or having that thatperspective is that we create
these scenarios in our lifewhere we're so stinking busy,
yeah, we don't have time tostop.
The the other day it was soweird.
It's not weird, but it's it w itit may sound weird if you're
listening to it.
Anne Grace, one of ourdaughters, was trying to change
(23:33):
the bulb in her headlights, andbless her heart.
She gave it a good shot.
SPEAKER_05 (23:36):
She tried so hard.
SPEAKER_02 (23:37):
And so she came in and got me.
She's like, I can't do this.
I need your help.
And I was like, okay.
SPEAKER_05 (23:41):
Even before she started, she was like, Here's
what I'm doing.
Dad, I don't want you to comeout here now, but let me go try
first.
SPEAKER_02 (23:48):
Yeah, which I I appreciate.
And I used to do that withThomas.
Thomas would, our son would belike, he was trying to do
something to his blazer, andI'll be like, ah, cool.
SPEAKER_04 (23:57):
That sounds great.
SPEAKER_02 (23:58):
I knew he was going to struggle.
And I was like, I there's suchgrowth opportunity in the
struggle, though.
So I didn't want to go out anddo that for him.
SPEAKER_05 (24:08):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (24:08):
Uh now there are times where I would go out and
help, but it's almost the ideaof when you get to do that, you
learn so much to this.
So anyway, side story.
SPEAKER_05 (24:16):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (24:17):
So she's she she came out.
SPEAKER_05 (24:18):
We were inside playing with Lucy because her
parents were on a date thatnight.
And so, yeah, then she calls it.
SPEAKER_02 (24:24):
I go out and I'm out there fiddling with this light,
and I swear I hear this birdthat sounds like mocking Jay
from undergate.
Is this the mocking Jay?
I swear this bird sounded justlike it.
SPEAKER_05 (24:38):
Running in the house.
SPEAKER_02 (24:39):
It was like singing to us.
And I was like, Erin, do youhear that?
That's so because it was quiet.
SPEAKER_05 (24:46):
Lucy and I were playing with our dollhouse, and
we had to run outside to hearthis bird that was.
SPEAKER_02 (24:49):
And of course, when they came out, it didn't do it
anymore.
But uh we just stood there justlooking around, like it was the
but the the thing is, is likewe're out putting this light in
the car, and it was the mostincredible, cool opportunity to
just go, whoa, how beautiful.
What kind of bird is that?
We're in Georgia.
What is that?
It was really, really cool.
(25:11):
But it's the opportunity wedon't create opportunities for
us to slow down and to take abreath.
SPEAKER_05 (25:17):
It's a mindset thing.
It really is.
Just a gratitude mindset.
SPEAKER_02 (25:24):
So, how do we get to that going into Thanksgiving?
Because Thanksgiving, we do thisthing out.
I'll say this family can beeasy.
Family can be the the mostamazing thing in the world and
can also be the most hurtful,detrimental thing in the world.
(25:44):
Because there's a lot of peoplewho may be listening to this um
all over the world, which isnuts to say that.
But um wherever you're at, whenthis time of year rolls around,
it's not happy, it's notexciting, it's hard, it's tough.
Um, and maybe family, maybebecause you've lost a loved one
(26:05):
and you reflect on that.
I want to ask you to shift thata little bit and go think about
what you do have right now.
Not what you lost, but what youdo have.
Like what's in your what's inyour grip right now that you can
look at and be thankful for.
Um so I know family can betough.
And we do this thing in myfamily sometimes, my big family,
(26:27):
which is like a gazillion peoplesitting around the table.
SPEAKER_05 (26:31):
Your cousins keep having kids well into their 40s
in their world.
SPEAKER_02 (26:35):
I don't know what they're trying to do.
But it's a uh tell us one thingyou're thankful for.
Uh and we all go around thetable, and it just, you know,
sometimes it's cheesy.
Um, but in life, uh I mean,sometimes it's good just to look
at your spouse and go, I'mthankful for this.
Like Jess takes to me the othermorning and said, I left really,
really early, like before shedid.
(26:57):
I left at like 5 45 and she wasleaving.
She goes, I put the dogs up andI loaded the dish for the house.
SPEAKER_05 (27:02):
I was so proud of myself.
SPEAKER_02 (27:03):
And I was like, I'm actually very thankful for you.
Thank you for doing that.
SPEAKER_05 (27:07):
Well, because another different day when you
left early before me, I forgotto put the dogs up and then they
pee pee'd in the house.
So I was so excited.
I was like, I put them up.
unknown (27:18):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (27:19):
But I think sometimes the simple, like one
of those simple things in yourrelationships, if you really
want to like next level yourrelationship, yeah.
Like if you really want to usethis, this is a tool that can
really make a huge difference inyour relationship, is just
sometimes look at them and tellthem what you're grateful for.
Like I'm I am I'm thankful forthis.
(27:41):
I am thankful that you even whenthey do something that may be
silly, like thank you for makingmy coffee, or thank you for
making breakfast, or thank youfor putting my clothes away, or
or even washing my clothes, orthank you for cooking dinner.
I don't, there's so manydifferent things you can be
thankful for.
Um, but we bypass all those andwe're like, why'd you leave your
(28:02):
socks on the floor?
Why did you do this?
SPEAKER_05 (28:04):
Thank you for being patient with me when I don't
fold clothes for six weeks at atime.
And they're clean, but you don'tthank you for not getting
frustrated with me.
SPEAKER_02 (28:12):
So those people who are out there who wash your
laundry and put it away.
SPEAKER_05 (28:19):
I need you to call me.
SPEAKER_02 (28:20):
Dude, you were you you're I'm telling you, you're
you're our goal.
That's our goal.
That's another level of being aperson.
SPEAKER_05 (28:27):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (28:27):
We should start some seminars and take over the
world.
SPEAKER_05 (28:29):
I don't understand that.
SPEAKER_02 (28:31):
It's just it's just insane, bro.
We could we can wash clothes,but we can fall off the cliff
when it comes off and takingthem out of the water.
Dryer, they don't know.
SPEAKER_05 (28:40):
Everything is clean.
SPEAKER_02 (28:41):
Yeah, just we can't we can't get to the fin.
We're a great beginning andmiddle, it's the end that we
just can't.
I can't.
SPEAKER_05 (28:48):
I cannot.
The last time we folded clothes,this is embarrassing to say.
I calculated that they have beensitting there, the clean clothes
have been sitting there for twomonths.
SPEAKER_02 (28:57):
I found a bathing suit.
SPEAKER_05 (28:59):
Yep.
It's fall.
SPEAKER_02 (29:01):
I found a bathing suit where we folded.
I was like, bro, what's the lasttime I had the why do I why do I
have a bathing suit that lookeddifferent?
SPEAKER_05 (29:08):
I found a laundry at work t-shirt that I worn to
school, and I knew when I woreit, because we had taken a team
picture and it was the firstweek of school.
And then it and that was August,and then it was October when we
were phoning the clothes for thecity.
So that's really that's ourlife.
SPEAKER_02 (29:25):
Now we could be mad about that, we could be
frustrated about it, but thefact is we put some music on.
We we for some of y'all that maybe upset about it, but we
grabbed a glass of wine, weplayed music, had a glass of
wine uh a glass of wine, and wefolded clothes and we just
talked about it.
SPEAKER_05 (29:40):
I bet almost all of my laundry is still not open or
oh my gosh.
SPEAKER_02 (29:45):
Um and so it's it's just one of those things,
though.
It's at at Thanksgiving, there'sit's it's just a time just to
slow down.
SPEAKER_05 (29:53):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (29:53):
Take a deep breath.
I always say this take a deepbreath, relax, and just say,
what is something that I rewe're thankful for.
And just be just just love oneach other.
Be honest with each other abouthey, this is this is what I'm
thankful for.
SPEAKER_05 (30:09):
You truly have to decide to be thankful.
SPEAKER_02 (30:12):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_05 (30:14):
You do.
SPEAKER_02 (30:14):
Yeah.
I I agree with you.
You said earlier it's a mindset.
SPEAKER_05 (30:17):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (30:18):
Producer Michael picked up his magazine.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_03 (30:23):
So we talk about, you know, be thankful, be
thankful, and and we hear thisso much in our lives, especially
if you're raised in Americawhere we celebrate Thanksgiving.
You hear this at least once ayear, every year, or at least
you're aware of it.
Why?
Why should we be thankful?
What is it, what does it do forourselves?
What does it do for our spousewhen we're thankful for them and
(30:47):
we communicate these things?
Like and I'm just trying tothink maybe I don't know maybe
I'm thinking of Christmasalready, but I'm thinking of
like you know Ba humbug likewhy?
You know, everyone's out herejust trying to be positive and
all this stuff.
Like why why should we befocusing on being thankful in
our lives?
SPEAKER_02 (31:03):
Can not be the guy that asks the question back to
you for asking the question.
SPEAKER_03 (31:07):
Yeah, absolutely.
SPEAKER_02 (31:08):
Well what's the opposite of not being thankful?
Like if I'm not thankful foryou, what's the opposite of
that?
SPEAKER_04 (31:15):
I think unsuchel thank you.
Thomas with such a straight facethose big green eyes who said
unthankful.
SPEAKER_03 (31:26):
Unthankful No he's not wrong but I have I have had
conversations with people whereit's more of a realism.
Such a like well unpack thatwhat does it mean?
Like okay I can I can learn tobe content with what I have but
at the same time realisticallyif I grow too content I'm never
going to grow.
(31:47):
I'm not going to do more I'm notgoing to be able to achieve more
or in talking about arelationship with a spouse it
could be a you know but this ishow they treat me this is what
they do and I you can get soeasily focused on those things.
And part of me like why why I'meven asking that question is
things that I've learned frommyself is when you have a heart
(32:09):
of gratitude so many otherthings don't matter.
SPEAKER_05 (32:14):
So much else doesn't suck.
SPEAKER_03 (32:16):
Yes.
Honestly I mean well it can beso easy to get focused on the
things that suck.
SPEAKER_05 (32:21):
Well the three of us talking right now have been
through spans of time where itwas probably hard to find
something that was thankful.
Oh very much so um but when thatbook that darn book I keep going
back to when I read that book1,000 gifts it made me have to
look at stuff differently andI'm like yes the rug was swept
(32:43):
out from under me.
No I did not ask for thishowever I woke up this morning
I'm awake and I get to try againand for for my own self I had
two little kids that areabsolutely beautiful and there
there there was there was beautyand there were blessings that
(33:04):
when I started to try to trainmyself to see it that way it
just got easier to to just Imean everything was a gift at
that point.
It truly was a gift.
SPEAKER_02 (33:15):
Well because the other side of that is if you
don't it becomes a black hole.
SPEAKER_05 (33:19):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (33:19):
And it just sucks you and it's just like you get
caught up in your own self andyour own thoughts kind of like
Jess did this morning.
SPEAKER_05 (33:27):
I sure did.
SPEAKER_02 (33:28):
And you just start circling and spiral and
everything's horribleeverything's bad.
And I'm like hey tonight we getto have dinner with our friends
and our family and we get to sitaround our table and tonight
we're going to record a podcastthat somebody around the world's
going to listen to and maybe itit's we get that opportunity.
Like we get to do that.
Yeah.
So it's like we can like theother side of not being thankful
(33:51):
is like the other side is it'sjust a spiral of just negative.
SPEAKER_05 (33:56):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (33:56):
And so I think there's a difference though in
saying oh I'm content um but Ithink being content is being a
form of being thankful.
SPEAKER_05 (34:06):
No very long you're happy with what you have.
SPEAKER_02 (34:10):
You know what's interesting though when we don't
talk about the Bible a whole loton our podcast but we if you've
if you've ever watched anysports you always see this um
the whole uh John 316 I can doall things through Christ who
gives me strength.
SPEAKER_03 (34:24):
If you read the scriptures before that 413
Philippians 413 I'm pretty sureyou said John 316.
SPEAKER_02 (34:31):
Did I see John 316?
I'm sorry.
I apologize it's a late night noyou're good you're good
apparently this is why we don'ttalk about the Bible a lot.
Stop me anyway if you read thescriptures before that he he
talks about he's like I knowwhat it's like to be hungry.
I know what it's like to be wellfed I know what it's like to
(34:52):
have plenty and I know what it'slike to have nothing.
And then he says I can do allthings through Christ who gives
me strength.
So the idea is that we just hearthat last part of I can do all
things who gives but it's likeno no no I know what it's like
to have nothing.
I know what it's like to have alot like that's the idea of
content.
Yeah I've learned to be contentin all things uh whether I have
(35:15):
a lot or I don't have any andthat dude I'm telling you if
you're saying oh I've got thathammer call me.
Because I'd love to talk to youbecause that's a that's a battle
it doesn't matter where you'reat in life that it that that's a
moving target.
SPEAKER_03 (35:31):
Well and I think it even comes back in very much
along the lines of what you'resaying if you cannot be content
in the small things you willnever be content when you have
everything.
SPEAKER_05 (35:41):
No.
SPEAKER_02 (35:41):
Yeah whether it's material items money any of
those things whether it's thethe the perfect job whatever it
is like that's just an emptyhole.
Like you can continue to putstuff in that and it's always
going to be there.
So man I hope this is I mean Iknow when we say it's a tool of
gratitude I don't know what tounpack other than I don't know
(36:05):
try it.
Find something.
Yeah as a I guess my unpack ishey let's give it a whirl let's
get on this bike and ride it andsee what happens.
SPEAKER_05 (36:13):
Try making a short list maybe five things for the
next 10 days or whatever.
SPEAKER_03 (36:18):
I mean that's a very easy place to start if you
cannot find something becauseI'll say this I've been there
where I could not find somethingkeep reminding yourself to look
for it because it will show up.
SPEAKER_02 (36:31):
It will this is where I think having people in
your life this is where I thinkcommunity is huge.
Having people in your life wholove you and care about you who
when you can't see the good canlook into you and speak the good
into you and say no Jess I seethis in your life Michael I see
this in your life we've beenthere yeah Miranda I see this
like Thomas I see these thingsin your life this this is what
(36:54):
you have be thankful for becausesometimes we we don't we can't
see the forest for the trees youknow that whole this whole
saying because we're so in themiddle of it we can't see it but
it's like yeah you and I havebeen like Michael bro like we've
had some hard heart to heartconversations of like okay let's
look at what we're thankful forwhat's with us right now.
(37:15):
What do we have?
And so moving forward I I agreeI think that's a good maybe text
each day text two things thatyou're grateful for from your
some someone in your life inthat relationship and just see
what happens.
They're not looking foranything.
SPEAKER_05 (37:32):
I'll be I'll be honest two things may be a a lot
for me some days.
SPEAKER_02 (37:36):
Yeah it's a lot because well it causes you to
slow down and stop and thinkthough.
Yeah you know to to to take sometime out and be like what am I
grateful for?
What am I grateful for thisperson in my life?
Um those are those are hugechallenges because we're I mean
honestly a lot of us are justwe're just self-centered we we
(37:57):
we care about ourselves regularold people.
Yeah so as we roll into happyThanksgiving you know it's like
well I mean there's so much wecould talk about when it comes
to this uh but this is just onesimple thing uh practice some
gratitude I promise it'll bringyou joy if you do yeah and if
(38:19):
I'm telling you go on if you goon a social media I can't buy
everybody a book because there'sa lot of people out there
listening but I'll say at leastthe first five maybe ten people
I'll say five at least five Ithink is a good if you if you if
five of you because I don't knowhow we put it I'm gonna go log
in right now.
So if the five of you would goto our social media send us a a
(38:39):
message um and just say I'd loveto have the book we'll send it
to you uh and hopefully it makesa change because we're heading
into a tough season for a lot ofpeople this is a great time to
just say I want to be gratefuland uh find thankfulness in all
the little things.
So thank you guys for joining usuh tonight thank you for sharing
(39:00):
as we continue to grow we'veadded another country seems like
that's something that we doevery week around here which is
that's so cool.
SPEAKER_05 (39:07):
It's never not amazing.
SPEAKER_02 (39:09):
We are again we've talked about our 50th episode is
coming up in February uh ifyou're somewhere in or around
Georgia we're trying to do awe're gonna try to do an event a
live event where I'm going tojust literally dive a bunch of
anxiety we're gonna invite abunch of people in for a live
event it's not gonna be easy forme in February for our 50th
(39:32):
episode and so we're gonna havelive we'll have question and
answer time there.
We'll do a live uh broadcast uhwe're gonna push some stuff out
so it should be fun we don'tknow where it's gonna be we
don't there's a lot of things wedon't know uh there's a lot of
unknowns but we're just havingfun and we're still rolling and
I mean it's not long away that'scorrect so but thank you guys so
(39:53):
much for listening it reallyreally I can't tell you enough
how much we appreciate uh youguys listening to us and
following us and sharing ourstuff and so thank you continue
to do so and if you if we canhelp in any way reach out to us
so happy thanksgiving happythanksgiving go doubts go doubt
eat some turkey
Hey guys, what's up?
I'm Greg.
Hope you guys are ready tounpack and get into some good
conversations tonight.
SPEAKER_05 (00:07):
And I'm Jess, and this is our podcast on Baggage
Claim.
Thank you for joining us.
SPEAKER_02 (00:17):
What's up, Baggage Claim?
How's everybody doing today?
I'm so excited that you guyshave decided to join us.
You know, if you if you're newto Baggage Claim, this is a
place where we're hoping tocreate some conversations,
community around marriage,blended families, relationships,
all those fun things.
If you're a natural here andyou've been at baggage claim a
(00:40):
while, just thank you, grab yourfavorite drink, whatever that
is, pull up to the table withus.
And uh grab your chair, pull up.
If you're driving in the car,whatever you're doing, then you
know, just in your mind, kind ofpull up to the table with us and
let's get into some funconversation.
This is for you guys who may notbe watching it on video, this is
our Thanksgiving edition.
(01:02):
And so we have Thanksgiving crapeverywhere.
SPEAKER_05 (01:06):
Thanksgiving decorations.
Uh Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving crap.
SPEAKER_03 (01:10):
No, it's good decorations.
Yeah, it's okay.
I use that same term as well.
SPEAKER_05 (01:14):
Our social media marketing director did a
phenomenal job.
I don't know what your title is.
What is your title?
Creative directory.
SPEAKER_03 (01:22):
The Miranda Director.
SPEAKER_05 (01:23):
The Miranda Director.
The creative director.
SPEAKER_02 (01:25):
So I got into a discussion on what the this horn
with all this crap falling outof it.
I thought it was called a horn,and I was told it was.
SPEAKER_03 (01:38):
Nobody knows your head.
Like if you it sounds like aneye disease.
Huh?
Sounds like an eye disease.
SPEAKER_05 (01:44):
Or it's called a horn of plenty.
SPEAKER_03 (01:46):
Horn of plenty.
SPEAKER_05 (01:47):
Yeah, it has two names.
SPEAKER_02 (01:48):
It was weird.
So anyway, we're talking aboutThanksgiving.
This is a Thanksgiving episode,which is weird for us to say
because we started in February,and I didn't know that we'd
still be doing thisThanksgiving.
SPEAKER_03 (02:04):
We were literally like, oh, we'll do like two
episodes and see how it goes ifwe want to keep doing it.
SPEAKER_02 (02:08):
And here we are.
SPEAKER_05 (02:09):
What happens is we've added more countries.
SPEAKER_02 (02:12):
38 episodes later.
And uh yeah, we had enough.
For you guys who uh foreveryone's in Finland who
listened to us this past week,yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (02:20):
Thank you.
SPEAKER_02 (02:21):
Uh you guys are awesome.
I actually am watching anepisode of a guy not an episode
of Finnish guy like a littleseries thing.
Yeah, a guy in Finland whobought an island and is building
a log cabin.
So, bro, if this is you, broshut your mouth.
Shut your mouth.
SPEAKER_05 (02:36):
Yeah, message Greg because he will have a heart
attack.
SPEAKER_02 (02:39):
Yes, I absolutely love watching your uh you're
building a really big house,bro.
SPEAKER_05 (02:43):
Like I saw some of it.
That house is big.
It's really cool by your all byyourself.
SPEAKER_02 (02:47):
Anyway, so let's jump into our fun uh
Thanksgiving episode that we'rehaving fun.
SPEAKER_05 (02:54):
Thanksgiving's not always fun, though, for some
friends.
SPEAKER_02 (02:57):
I'm gonna have fun right now until we probably get
into the conversation.
SPEAKER_05 (03:00):
Okay, it's fun right now.
SPEAKER_02 (03:01):
We're gonna have fun until we go.
SPEAKER_04 (03:03):
Okay, having so much fun.
SPEAKER_02 (03:04):
So you know what time it is?
SPEAKER_04 (03:06):
Question time.
SPEAKER_02 (03:08):
Who are you saying this time?
I didn't, but it wasn't verywell.
Yeah, you did great.
That's fine.
So um I have a I do have aquestion, and it is around
Thanksgiving.
So Thanksgiving does bring abouta weird emotions.
It could be happy, it could besad, it could be excitement.
SPEAKER_05 (03:23):
Not necessarily weird, but a big range of
emotions.
SPEAKER_02 (03:26):
That's true.
Thank you.
Thank you for helping me choosemy words wisely.
Um I didn't choose my wordswisely, but you helped correct.
SPEAKER_05 (03:33):
Anyway, my question is I'm a teacher, that's what we
do.
SPEAKER_02 (03:36):
What is your favorite all-time go-to
Thanksgiving food?
What is the one thing atThanksgiving that you would
absolutely you just absolutelylove?
So I I'm I'm gonna say though,Thanksgiving.
I love Thanksgiving.
SPEAKER_05 (03:54):
You do.
SPEAKER_02 (03:54):
I love Thanksgiving because there's no presents.
There's uh it's just about thefood and it's just about the the
hanging out.
SPEAKER_05 (04:02):
Just being together.
SPEAKER_02 (04:03):
Yeah, just being together.
There's no exchange of anything.
We don't have to buy gifts, wedon't have to do anything.
We're just gonna be together andjust eat some good food.
So you guys got anything?
What's your favorite food?
SPEAKER_05 (04:14):
Um, well, before uh we lost Nanny, her dressing was
my favorite.
SPEAKER_02 (04:21):
Her dressing?
SPEAKER_05 (04:22):
Mm-hmm.
SPEAKER_02 (04:23):
Her dressing.
Nanny always used to give mecrap about how I would do the
turkey.
We do the turkey every year, andevery year she would stand by my
side and just give me a coupleof things.
I'll try to post a picture.
I'll try to post a picture ofthe two of us and see.
And she would give me crap everyyear.
You shouldn't do that, Greg.
You should do it like this.
I was like, Nanny, you want todo this?
SPEAKER_05 (04:45):
No, well, that's why you're here.
She would say.
SPEAKER_01 (04:48):
But we had such a blast.
SPEAKER_05 (04:49):
I do love deviled eggs, though.
That's another deviled eggs.
What's the impressive?
SPEAKER_03 (04:53):
You can't just pick like one food.
It's more like what foods can'tgo, can you not go without?
Like you have to have forThanksgiving.
You know what's weird is I don'tlove turkey.
SPEAKER_05 (05:03):
No, you don't.
SPEAKER_03 (05:04):
I do.
I love turkey.
I love turkey.
It's too dry to me.
No, give me that dark meatstuff.
SPEAKER_05 (05:11):
I don't dry.
SPEAKER_03 (05:13):
My dad always does the injection stuff too, so it's
like crazy juicy.
Well, I've tried that too.
SPEAKER_05 (05:18):
Your stepdad likes to always deep fry one, and
that's really good.
SPEAKER_03 (05:21):
The smoked one is really good.
SPEAKER_05 (05:23):
Smoked one's weird.
It changes the flavor too.
SPEAKER_03 (05:25):
If we take out like turkey, because I feel like
turkey and ham should just belike a like that's part of
Thanksgiving.
Like that's just a no-brainer.
Green bean casserole.
That's such a southern thing.
SPEAKER_02 (05:37):
Yes.
If you're below the basic Dixieline, green bean casserole is
everyone's and stuffing.
Stuffing.
Stuffing versus dressing.
SPEAKER_03 (05:48):
But is it not the same?
No, it's not.
Bro, come on.
So tell me, tell me what's thedifference then?
Because I've always donestuffing.
I thought that was a good thing.
SPEAKER_00 (05:55):
Our studio audience is stuffing is what is inside of
the turkey.
Dressing is what is made in thecasserole.
SPEAKER_02 (06:02):
It's like a plate, like it's in the pan.
SPEAKER_05 (06:04):
It's got a mixture of like cornbread, love bread,
like 7,000 seasonings.
SPEAKER_03 (06:11):
So just how you cook it is the only difference?
Yes.
SPEAKER_05 (06:13):
Yeah, and Greg's mom.
SPEAKER_03 (06:16):
Yeah, like within the turkey itself.
Yeah, stuffing goes in theturkey.
SPEAKER_00 (06:20):
Like corn and everything that you have on
Thanksgiving cooked inside ofthe turkey.
SPEAKER_03 (06:26):
Yeah.
But then there's some familieslike See, we'll use the broth
from the turkey itself to makethe stuffing.
Or technically, I guessdressing.
I guess it's dressing.
So what I'm referring to wouldactually technically the
dressing.
Yeah, it's in a panel.
SPEAKER_02 (06:39):
And then you scoop it out with a spoon.
Is it solid?
Is it more so like stuffing ismore fluffy, not as solid.
SPEAKER_05 (06:46):
Like dressing is more like stove top stuffing
that's kind of trying toreplicate like stuffing from the
inside of the bird.
SPEAKER_03 (06:53):
No, we always but we use the instead of doing like
chicken broth, we always get theoils from the bird and make it
with that stuff.
That's yeah, it's a typicaldressing.
SPEAKER_05 (07:01):
That's dressing.
That you put in or dressing.
SPEAKER_03 (07:04):
Dressing.
SPEAKER_02 (07:06):
That's my favorite thing.
SPEAKER_05 (07:08):
Thank goodness Greg's mom will make one
dressing that's like normal andthen the other one has normal
celery in it.
SPEAKER_02 (07:15):
It doesn't have celery in it.
It's like why are you dressing?
Why not use dressing?
Why are you putting salad crapin here?
No, uh salad.
SPEAKER_05 (07:24):
It's just leave the celery doing that.
I have a backup question.
SPEAKER_02 (07:28):
Nobody wants celery at Thanksgiving.
Thank you.
SPEAKER_05 (07:30):
Or a follow-up.
SPEAKER_02 (07:31):
I can tell you this.
The guys who still over herewere not just like, bruh, I
would love to have some celery.
No.
I would love to have that.
SPEAKER_03 (07:39):
Greg's got to answer first, though, because I want to
hear your question, but Greg'sgot an answer because he didn't
eat it.
Mine was dressing.
SPEAKER_02 (07:44):
Oh, dressing.
SPEAKER_03 (07:45):
Can't go without dressing.
SPEAKER_02 (07:46):
Dressing in ham, I'll eat my weight in
Thanksgiving.
SPEAKER_05 (07:48):
Make ourselves sick.
Okay.
Um, are you food touching onyour plate or food not touching
on your plate?
SPEAKER_02 (07:56):
All mixed.
Thanksgiving, it's all powerful.
All mixed in.
Because I like cranberry likethat cranberries.
Oh, yes.
Even the stuff that comes in thecan, they just cut it.
SPEAKER_05 (08:05):
It has to be that.
SPEAKER_02 (08:06):
And I know that I can put little ridges in the
side of it.
Cranberries earlier.
SPEAKER_03 (08:10):
But Thanksgiving, I will eat a whole can of
cranberries.
SPEAKER_01 (08:13):
It's just so crazy.
SPEAKER_03 (08:14):
I love it.
I don't ever eat cranberriesever.
SPEAKER_05 (08:17):
And I don't love it, but yeah, I grew up that it has
to be the can.
You have to slice it.
I don't mind if my food touches.
I don't want it to mix.
Our oldest daughter, Callie, andshe probably still is this way.
I don't know.
I'll have to ask her when we seeher this weekend, but she used
to want everything like soseparated.
Like she would have loved tohave like a like a lunchroom
(08:39):
tray.
SPEAKER_01 (08:40):
Yeah, she loved it divine.
She loved it divine.
SPEAKER_05 (08:43):
So that nothing would touch.
And she would eat one thing at atime around her plate.
And I'm just like, I bouncedaround here and there and here
and there.
I do that.
SPEAKER_02 (08:51):
Sometimes like I'll get focused on something and
I'll eat that and then I'll turnthe plate.
You do not have to do that.
You get her the other sideplate.
So probably just some of thatfor me.
SPEAKER_03 (09:00):
But I will say though, like Thanksgiving is a
great time to try things.
Yeah.
Right.
So if I can add another food,sweet potato casserole.
Oh God.
SPEAKER_02 (09:09):
That is a must-have for Thanksgiving.
Sweet potato casserole is prettygood.
SPEAKER_03 (09:13):
Because I will say this like, try the different
combinations, right?
So like try a little bit ofsweet potato casserole with the
dressing.
SPEAKER_05 (09:19):
I'm a texture girl.
SPEAKER_03 (09:20):
Or then try some of the sweet potato casserole with
the green bean casserole.
SPEAKER_05 (09:24):
No.
SPEAKER_03 (09:25):
Oh my goodness.
SPEAKER_05 (09:26):
Casseroles get a little mushy for me.
That's a little mushy territory.
SPEAKER_03 (09:29):
Jess is not a mixer.
Oh, I'm a mixer, man.
She's not a mixer.
SPEAKER_02 (09:32):
I'll try that sometimes, but I'm just like,
see what happens.
SPEAKER_03 (09:36):
Right?
No, but hey, that's all I'masking for.
See what happens.
If you like it, you like it.
If you don't, don't do it again,you know?
SPEAKER_02 (09:41):
Yeah, it's true.
Yeah.
So, I mean, with all that beingsaid, Thanksgiving, the idea is
that it's a time where we get togive thanks.
Uh, which is something that innormal day life, it's just life
is so busy, so hectic, so crazy.
We don't stop to actually thinkabout what we're thankful for.
SPEAKER_01 (10:03):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (10:03):
And so, and so many times in life, Thanksgiving can
be like overwhelming withpreparing, getting ready with
family.
SPEAKER_05 (10:13):
Um well, especially if it's family that you aren't
with often, that's awkward forsome.
I mean, our families, we alllive in the same vicinity.
So we we see each other often.
Well, I say we all.
I mean, we've got kids scatteredhere and there, but
predominantly all of us livearound here.
It's we don't go months andmonths and months or a year
(10:35):
without seeing our familymembers.
So that's not awkward for usalways, but there's some folks.
SPEAKER_02 (10:40):
I mean, that's there's a lot of people out
there who don't.
SPEAKER_05 (10:44):
You see them on holidays and that's it.
So that that's kind that can getkind of weird, I think.
SPEAKER_02 (10:47):
Yeah, because it makes it weird because then
you're like, okay, what are wetalking about?
What do we talk about?
What do we don't talk about?
What is off limits um when itcomes to sitting around the
table?
Which is, I mean, we could do awhole episode on just uh which I
suggested uh dealing within-laws.
Um how do you deal with in-laws?
And um hopefully we tackle thathopefully we tackle that topic
(11:11):
sometime soon over uh theholidays because you spend more
time with in-laws probablyduring the holiday season than
you do any other time.
Um my hope is is that ourin-laws, I say ours, but our
son-in-laws and daughter-in-lawsfeel comfortable enough that
they can be open and honest withus and just be real.
So we try to create that, butthat doesn't mean we always do.
(11:34):
So but we're gonna talk, we'regonna try to focus on gratitude
and what does gratitude looklike?
What does gratitude mean?
Um you you don't happen to haveyour phone with you, do you?
SPEAKER_05 (11:48):
No.
SPEAKER_02 (11:48):
Ah, great.
Uh, because we were talkingabout uh gratitude earlier, and
we looked up some things abouthow uh gratitude is kind of like
I want you to think about it asa like I we want to help give
you a tool.
SPEAKER_05 (12:01):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (12:01):
Like I always say, hey, I do a lot of handyman
projects right now.
It's kind of my I don't knowwhy, but that's where I'm at in
life.
And so it's my truck is full oftools.
There's literally a um, there'sa multi-tool, there's a chop
saw, there's a paint sprayer,um, there is a there's wood
(12:24):
hanging out the back of it.
No, I took it out.
There was a couple of laddersout of the bag.
There was I mean.
Yeah, I have uh I probably haveeight boxes of screws.
I have stuff for painting.
There's so many tools in mytruck.
SPEAKER_04 (12:37):
Yes.
SPEAKER_02 (12:38):
I could roll up and be like, oh yeah, let's get on
this.
And some of it's organized, someof it's not.
Um gratitude, I want you tothink about gratitude.
SPEAKER_05 (12:45):
Meanwhile, there's a car seat in my truck, in my
jeans.
And a stroller.
I have a car seat and astroller.
So but I want to stagger in mylife.
SPEAKER_02 (12:53):
I want you to think about gratitude as a as a tool.
SPEAKER_05 (12:57):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (12:57):
Like a hammer or a screwdriver or a drill.
Um, that's how my mind works.
So I know if you're not handy,you probably don't get that
idea.
But think of it as a tool that Ican use.
I'm not always gonna use it, butsometimes it's very helpful.
Um, but gratitude is a tool thatyou can use in your
relationships, whether it behusband, wife, uh, work
(13:18):
relationships, uh, whateverrelationship that you have.
Um and so we're gonna kind ofdig into that idea of gratitude.
What does it look like?
How does it work?
How do you use it in yourrelationship?
And uh what's the benefits ofit?
And what are the I don't know,what are the what what makes it
hard?
Why is it so hard for us to begrateful for what it is that we
(13:38):
have?
SPEAKER_05 (13:38):
Well, I mean, we could be start off with a very
personal example.
SPEAKER_02 (13:43):
Oh, we're going like hardcore, like real life
situation right now, right offthe get-go.
I mean, why not?
Yeah, let's start with that.
SPEAKER_05 (13:50):
Yeah.
This morning, I was feeling umvery um stressed out.
I was overwhelmed.
I had was already at work.
SPEAKER_02 (14:00):
Do you wanna do you wanna I mean if we're being
honest?
I'm sorry.
I have something in my throat.
So sorry for the clearing of mythroat.
SPEAKER_01 (14:08):
It's okay.
SPEAKER_02 (14:09):
But if we're being honest, what were you like what
were you s so anxious about orconcerned about?
SPEAKER_05 (14:14):
It's for you and I, it's a tough season financially
right now.
There's a lot going on.
I think God is teaching us to bewish we could go ahead and learn
the lesson.
SPEAKER_02 (14:25):
Apparently, we really suck at learning lessons.
SPEAKER_05 (14:27):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (14:28):
But it's just teaching us to live in the
moment.
SPEAKER_05 (14:30):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (14:31):
Like there's not a um there's not a lot of
security.
SPEAKER_05 (14:35):
Um we don't have a big game plan currently.
SPEAKER_02 (14:37):
No, and that's okay because I I say it's okay.
I'm maybe I'm trying to pep talkmyself.
SPEAKER_05 (14:42):
Well, it is okay because you've always been a
good steward of what we do have,and I trust you in that and your
leadership.
But I just had a moment thismorning, I was just like, my
mind went nuts with making thiswhole big list of all these
things that are happening thatwe need to do.
And then obviously we're comingup on the holidays and all the
things that I we want to buy anddo and give, and just this the
(15:06):
list just was multiplying.
And I'm there's is I'm in a verystressful season at school with
learning some new curriculum.
It was just like pile and pileand pile and layer and layer and
layer.
SPEAKER_02 (15:19):
Do you think everybody, maybe not everybody,
but a lot of people who arelistening feel the exact same
way?
SPEAKER_05 (15:24):
Oh, yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (15:24):
Because you're feeling the stress of the
holidays coming up, and you'relike, oh man, if money's tight,
I gotta spend money, I gotta buygifts, I gotta go places that's
gonna cost me money.
I gotta I gotta all these otherthings I gotta do, and money's
already.
SPEAKER_05 (15:38):
On top of just making ends meet, like just
regular life is expensive.
SPEAKER_02 (15:42):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_05 (15:42):
Even if you do it frugally like we do, it's just
hard.
SPEAKER_02 (15:47):
Because that stress, whether you say it or not, that
stress translates into how youcommunicate, how you operate
with your significant other orother relationships in your
life.
Yeah.
So go ahead.
SPEAKER_05 (15:59):
I was going about my morning before the littles got
there, and I just texted you.
I was like, I'm feeling veryoverwhelmed about this and this.
Can you please help me?
Help me like, I can't rememberhow I phrased it.
Just please help me not to, orwhatever I said.
I was like, I need a lifeline.
SPEAKER_02 (16:19):
I think it very much was, which is so interesting
because you texted me, and todaywas kind of a unique opportunity
for me in handyman stuff becausemy mom asked me if I would do
some bush hogging around mygrandparents.
They still have their old farm.
And so I spent the day, and ifyou're in Georgia today, the
(16:39):
high was 48, I think.
So it was cold.
SPEAKER_05 (16:42):
So I spent if it got that high though, it was cold.
SPEAKER_02 (16:46):
So I was on a tractor um bush hogging on old
family farmland, not like hay,but just cleaning up and doing
some things.
And it was kind of a is a veryinteresting spot for me because
that's a place where it helps meremember what it used to be like
when I was a kid there when I'mthere, and it's just it's so
(17:06):
calming, but yet so peaceful forme just to be there.
SPEAKER_05 (17:09):
So when you texted that, I was like, Well, you said
uh tell me one thing you'rethankful for.
And I was like, Yeah, I did gostraight to I don't know what it
was, but I'm not thankful foranything right this very second.
SPEAKER_02 (17:22):
I was like, okay, so if you're if you're stressed
about money, you're stressedabout these situations, tell me
something you're thankful for.
SPEAKER_05 (17:28):
It took me a few minutes.
SPEAKER_02 (17:29):
It did.
You I think you texted back.
Uh it's really hard for me tosee that right now.
SPEAKER_05 (17:33):
Uh-huh, I didn't.
SPEAKER_02 (17:34):
And just kind of uh and so then I was I didn't text
back.
SPEAKER_05 (17:38):
No.
SPEAKER_02 (17:38):
And then you texted like three or four other things,
and then finally you said Yeah.
SPEAKER_05 (17:43):
Well, first I said, of course, I went straight to
Lulu.
Yes, our grandbaby.
She's 15 months old now, and sheis walking and starting to talk
and put phrases together.
And I said, I was rememberingliterally last night after bath
time, she was walking around inher ruffle butt pajamas, and she
just looked at it was me and youand Miranda, because Thomas was
(18:06):
at the fire station, and shelooked at us and she started
waving and she said, Nightnight, bye-bye.
And started walking towards thehouse.
She was walking towards thedoor, she was like, I'm out,
guys.
And it was right at 7:30.
It was her night-night time, andshe was just telling us, okay, I
gotta go.
And so I was just saying howthankful I am that she's healthy
(18:26):
and that she's learning so fast.
And then I said, I'm thankfulfor you.
SPEAKER_02 (18:30):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_05 (18:31):
I mean, those are just two easy things to say.
I'm thankful for.
SPEAKER_02 (18:34):
But I think too, like for me, it was when I think
about, because it's so easy tosee all the crap that we're in,
because I don't care whereyou're at, in what stage of life
if you're in, if you're in your50s, 40s, 30s, even if you're in
your 20s, you're you're probablyyou're probably neck deep in
some kind of crap that's goingon right now.
(18:55):
Yeah.
Uh there's a lot of people whoare out there who are probably
struggling because of thegovernment shutdown when I know
that they said, hey, snap, andthere's no more money, and
people were freaking out, going,How are we gonna feed our kids?
Like that's a I get it, that's areal life scenario.
Um there's there's there'sstress everywhere.
And it's easy for us sometimesto focus on those things, and we
(19:15):
just get so bogged down on itthat we forget to be grateful
for the things that we do have.
We always because life andsocial media and all the other
things want to tell us all thethings we should be going for
and what we should have.
Yeah, like you should be doingthis.
And I'm trust me, I'm as guiltyas anybody about pushing myself
(19:36):
for more.
Not more stuff, like it's notmore stuff, but more
productivity, be more efficient,be better at this, be a better
dad, be a better husband, be setunrealistic expectations on
yourself.
Yes, I 100% do.
Yeah, uh, I feel like a ChevyChase moment there when you say
that, but it's so true.
When have I ever learned thatthese are some unrealistic
(20:01):
expectations?
And so it's trying to reel thatin, but I I I say this, I I
don't want to use his last name,but there's this guy, John, I
met two years ago.
Man, he just got out of rehaband he had heard me speak
somewhere, and he said, Greg, Idon't have a sponsor.
(20:22):
Would you be like a sponsor forme?
Um and just hold me accountablefor the things that are going
on.
And he's like, this was and sowe sit down, we had, and he told
me his situation, his story.
I could pull up my phone rightnow, yeah, and for the last two
years, every single day, thisguy rides on a pad at least ten
(20:43):
things and sends you a pictureand takes a picture of it and
sends it to me every single dayof ten things he's grateful for.
And man, every time I I and Ido, I read John.
I don't even know if you listento this, I don't even know if
you listen to podcasts or haveever, but that thing is it it
one, it reminds me of where I'vebeen.
Yeah, it reminds me of of theidea of the things I do have
(21:05):
that I am grateful for.
Yeah.
It's one of those most powerfulthings that if we just reached
out and just sometimes just talkto our friends and said, Hey,
I'm grateful for you for this.
It's a powerful, powerful toolthat we don't use.
Um but I read this guy's thingsthat he's grateful for, and it
just helps me shift myperspective and go, okay, Greg,
(21:28):
stop feeling sorry for yourself,quit kicking yourself.
Okay, yeah, things aren't great.
They're not where you want themto be, but bro, look what you do
have.
Like let's take them in and lookwhat you do have.
SPEAKER_05 (21:38):
Well, after we had talked about this is gonna be
our subject tonight, and I wasjust kind of looking back
because we like to look back atthe last, you know, few
episodes, handful of episodes.
And of course I'm not gonna findit now because yep, there it is.
I wrote down again, I havementioned this book so many
times.
(21:58):
Um, that 1000 gifts by AnneVoskamp, because that was a book
somebody gave me when I was umin my grief portion of my
journey.
And it truly did change my lifeand the way I looked at stuff.
And I'm just sitting herethinking to myself, listening to
you was like, I need to readthat book again.
I do.
Because I need to be reminded.
SPEAKER_02 (22:19):
I'll tell you this.
I don't even know how much thebook costs, but I'll tell you
this.
If you if you go to our socialmedia and and you send us a
message on social media, one ofour socials, like all of our
baggage claim socials, if you goto one of our socials and just
say, Hey, I'd love to read thebook.
SPEAKER_05 (22:37):
Now a lot of her um the way she writes, the the
language she uses is kind offancy here and there.
So you have to kind of look pastthat.
But then there's other parts,it's just like so simple.
It's just like yes, I can what'sthe name of the book again?
One thousand gifts by AnneBoskamp.
unknown (22:57):
Okay.
SPEAKER_05 (22:58):
But it's simple things like Did you hear that
bird singing when you just wentto get the mail?
Thank you for that.
Or the beautiful color of thetrees right now, you know, thank
you.
Like just simple.
SPEAKER_02 (23:11):
Well, I think if we the the problem with being
grateful or having that thatperspective is that we create
these scenarios in our lifewhere we're so stinking busy,
yeah, we don't have time tostop.
The the other day it was soweird.
It's not weird, but it's it w itit may sound weird if you're
listening to it.
Anne Grace, one of ourdaughters, was trying to change
(23:33):
the bulb in her headlights, andbless her heart.
She gave it a good shot.
SPEAKER_05 (23:36):
She tried so hard.
SPEAKER_02 (23:37):
And so she came in and got me.
She's like, I can't do this.
I need your help.
And I was like, okay.
SPEAKER_05 (23:41):
Even before she started, she was like, Here's
what I'm doing.
Dad, I don't want you to comeout here now, but let me go try
first.
SPEAKER_02 (23:48):
Yeah, which I I appreciate.
And I used to do that withThomas.
Thomas would, our son would belike, he was trying to do
something to his blazer, andI'll be like, ah, cool.
SPEAKER_04 (23:57):
That sounds great.
SPEAKER_02 (23:58):
I knew he was going to struggle.
And I was like, I there's suchgrowth opportunity in the
struggle, though.
So I didn't want to go out anddo that for him.
SPEAKER_05 (24:08):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (24:08):
Uh now there are times where I would go out and
help, but it's almost the ideaof when you get to do that, you
learn so much to this.
So anyway, side story.
SPEAKER_05 (24:16):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (24:17):
So she's she she came out.
SPEAKER_05 (24:18):
We were inside playing with Lucy because her
parents were on a date thatnight.
And so, yeah, then she calls it.
SPEAKER_02 (24:24):
I go out and I'm out there fiddling with this light,
and I swear I hear this birdthat sounds like mocking Jay
from undergate.
Is this the mocking Jay?
I swear this bird sounded justlike it.
SPEAKER_05 (24:38):
Running in the house.
SPEAKER_02 (24:39):
It was like singing to us.
And I was like, Erin, do youhear that?
That's so because it was quiet.
SPEAKER_05 (24:46):
Lucy and I were playing with our dollhouse, and
we had to run outside to hearthis bird that was.
SPEAKER_02 (24:49):
And of course, when they came out, it didn't do it
anymore.
But uh we just stood there justlooking around, like it was the
but the the thing is, is likewe're out putting this light in
the car, and it was the mostincredible, cool opportunity to
just go, whoa, how beautiful.
What kind of bird is that?
We're in Georgia.
What is that?
It was really, really cool.
(25:11):
But it's the opportunity wedon't create opportunities for
us to slow down and to take abreath.
SPEAKER_05 (25:17):
It's a mindset thing.
It really is.
Just a gratitude mindset.
SPEAKER_02 (25:24):
So, how do we get to that going into Thanksgiving?
Because Thanksgiving, we do thisthing out.
I'll say this family can beeasy.
Family can be the the mostamazing thing in the world and
can also be the most hurtful,detrimental thing in the world.
(25:44):
Because there's a lot of peoplewho may be listening to this um
all over the world, which isnuts to say that.
But um wherever you're at, whenthis time of year rolls around,
it's not happy, it's notexciting, it's hard, it's tough.
Um, and maybe family, maybebecause you've lost a loved one
(26:05):
and you reflect on that.
I want to ask you to shift thata little bit and go think about
what you do have right now.
Not what you lost, but what youdo have.
Like what's in your what's inyour grip right now that you can
look at and be thankful for.
Um so I know family can betough.
And we do this thing in myfamily sometimes, my big family,
(26:27):
which is like a gazillion peoplesitting around the table.
SPEAKER_05 (26:31):
Your cousins keep having kids well into their 40s
in their world.
SPEAKER_02 (26:35):
I don't know what they're trying to do.
But it's a uh tell us one thingyou're thankful for.
Uh and we all go around thetable, and it just, you know,
sometimes it's cheesy.
Um, but in life, uh I mean,sometimes it's good just to look
at your spouse and go, I'mthankful for this.
Like Jess takes to me the othermorning and said, I left really,
really early, like before shedid.
(26:57):
I left at like 5 45 and she wasleaving.
She goes, I put the dogs up andI loaded the dish for the house.
SPEAKER_05 (27:02):
I was so proud of myself.
SPEAKER_02 (27:03):
And I was like, I'm actually very thankful for you.
Thank you for doing that.
SPEAKER_05 (27:07):
Well, because another different day when you
left early before me, I forgotto put the dogs up and then they
pee pee'd in the house.
So I was so excited.
I was like, I put them up.
unknown (27:18):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (27:19):
But I think sometimes the simple, like one
of those simple things in yourrelationships, if you really
want to like next level yourrelationship, yeah.
Like if you really want to usethis, this is a tool that can
really make a huge difference inyour relationship, is just
sometimes look at them and tellthem what you're grateful for.
Like I'm I am I'm thankful forthis.
(27:41):
I am thankful that you even whenthey do something that may be
silly, like thank you for makingmy coffee, or thank you for
making breakfast, or thank youfor putting my clothes away, or
or even washing my clothes, orthank you for cooking dinner.
I don't, there's so manydifferent things you can be
thankful for.
Um, but we bypass all those andwe're like, why'd you leave your
(28:02):
socks on the floor?
Why did you do this?
SPEAKER_05 (28:04):
Thank you for being patient with me when I don't
fold clothes for six weeks at atime.
And they're clean, but you don'tthank you for not getting
frustrated with me.
SPEAKER_02 (28:12):
So those people who are out there who wash your
laundry and put it away.
SPEAKER_05 (28:19):
I need you to call me.
SPEAKER_02 (28:20):
Dude, you were you you're I'm telling you, you're
you're our goal.
That's our goal.
That's another level of being aperson.
SPEAKER_05 (28:27):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (28:27):
We should start some seminars and take over the
world.
SPEAKER_05 (28:29):
I don't understand that.
SPEAKER_02 (28:31):
It's just it's just insane, bro.
We could we can wash clothes,but we can fall off the cliff
when it comes off and takingthem out of the water.
Dryer, they don't know.
SPEAKER_05 (28:40):
Everything is clean.
SPEAKER_02 (28:41):
Yeah, just we can't we can't get to the fin.
We're a great beginning andmiddle, it's the end that we
just can't.
I can't.
SPEAKER_05 (28:48):
I cannot.
The last time we folded clothes,this is embarrassing to say.
I calculated that they have beensitting there, the clean clothes
have been sitting there for twomonths.
SPEAKER_02 (28:57):
I found a bathing suit.
SPEAKER_05 (28:59):
Yep.
It's fall.
SPEAKER_02 (29:01):
I found a bathing suit where we folded.
I was like, bro, what's the lasttime I had the why do I why do I
have a bathing suit that lookeddifferent?
SPEAKER_05 (29:08):
I found a laundry at work t-shirt that I worn to
school, and I knew when I woreit, because we had taken a team
picture and it was the firstweek of school.
And then it and that was August,and then it was October when we
were phoning the clothes for thecity.
So that's really that's ourlife.
SPEAKER_02 (29:25):
Now we could be mad about that, we could be
frustrated about it, but thefact is we put some music on.
We we for some of y'all that maybe upset about it, but we
grabbed a glass of wine, weplayed music, had a glass of
wine uh a glass of wine, and wefolded clothes and we just
talked about it.
SPEAKER_05 (29:40):
I bet almost all of my laundry is still not open or
oh my gosh.
SPEAKER_02 (29:45):
Um and so it's it's just one of those things,
though.
It's at at Thanksgiving, there'sit's it's just a time just to
slow down.
SPEAKER_05 (29:53):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (29:53):
Take a deep breath.
I always say this take a deepbreath, relax, and just say,
what is something that I rewe're thankful for.
And just be just just love oneach other.
Be honest with each other abouthey, this is this is what I'm
thankful for.
SPEAKER_05 (30:09):
You truly have to decide to be thankful.
SPEAKER_02 (30:12):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_05 (30:14):
You do.
SPEAKER_02 (30:14):
Yeah.
I I agree with you.
You said earlier it's a mindset.
SPEAKER_05 (30:17):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (30:18):
Producer Michael picked up his magazine.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_03 (30:23):
So we talk about, you know, be thankful, be
thankful, and and we hear thisso much in our lives, especially
if you're raised in Americawhere we celebrate Thanksgiving.
You hear this at least once ayear, every year, or at least
you're aware of it.
Why?
Why should we be thankful?
What is it, what does it do forourselves?
What does it do for our spousewhen we're thankful for them and
(30:47):
we communicate these things?
Like and I'm just trying tothink maybe I don't know maybe
I'm thinking of Christmasalready, but I'm thinking of
like you know Ba humbug likewhy?
You know, everyone's out herejust trying to be positive and
all this stuff.
Like why why should we befocusing on being thankful in
our lives?
SPEAKER_02 (31:03):
Can not be the guy that asks the question back to
you for asking the question.
SPEAKER_03 (31:07):
Yeah, absolutely.
SPEAKER_02 (31:08):
Well what's the opposite of not being thankful?
Like if I'm not thankful foryou, what's the opposite of
that?
SPEAKER_04 (31:15):
I think unsuchel thank you.
Thomas with such a straight facethose big green eyes who said
unthankful.
SPEAKER_03 (31:26):
Unthankful No he's not wrong but I have I have had
conversations with people whereit's more of a realism.
Such a like well unpack thatwhat does it mean?
Like okay I can I can learn tobe content with what I have but
at the same time realisticallyif I grow too content I'm never
going to grow.
(31:47):
I'm not going to do more I'm notgoing to be able to achieve more
or in talking about arelationship with a spouse it
could be a you know but this ishow they treat me this is what
they do and I you can get soeasily focused on those things.
And part of me like why why I'meven asking that question is
things that I've learned frommyself is when you have a heart
(32:09):
of gratitude so many otherthings don't matter.
SPEAKER_05 (32:14):
So much else doesn't suck.
SPEAKER_03 (32:16):
Yes.
Honestly I mean well it can beso easy to get focused on the
things that suck.
SPEAKER_05 (32:21):
Well the three of us talking right now have been
through spans of time where itwas probably hard to find
something that was thankful.
Oh very much so um but when thatbook that darn book I keep going
back to when I read that book1,000 gifts it made me have to
look at stuff differently andI'm like yes the rug was swept
(32:43):
out from under me.
No I did not ask for thishowever I woke up this morning
I'm awake and I get to try againand for for my own self I had
two little kids that areabsolutely beautiful and there
there there was there was beautyand there were blessings that
(33:04):
when I started to try to trainmyself to see it that way it
just got easier to to just Imean everything was a gift at
that point.
It truly was a gift.
SPEAKER_02 (33:15):
Well because the other side of that is if you
don't it becomes a black hole.
SPEAKER_05 (33:19):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (33:19):
And it just sucks you and it's just like you get
caught up in your own self andyour own thoughts kind of like
Jess did this morning.
SPEAKER_05 (33:27):
I sure did.
SPEAKER_02 (33:28):
And you just start circling and spiral and
everything's horribleeverything's bad.
And I'm like hey tonight we getto have dinner with our friends
and our family and we get to sitaround our table and tonight
we're going to record a podcastthat somebody around the world's
going to listen to and maybe itit's we get that opportunity.
Like we get to do that.
Yeah.
So it's like we can like theother side of not being thankful
(33:51):
is like the other side is it'sjust a spiral of just negative.
SPEAKER_05 (33:56):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (33:56):
And so I think there's a difference though in
saying oh I'm content um but Ithink being content is being a
form of being thankful.
SPEAKER_05 (34:06):
No very long you're happy with what you have.
SPEAKER_02 (34:10):
You know what's interesting though when we don't
talk about the Bible a whole loton our podcast but we if you've
if you've ever watched anysports you always see this um
the whole uh John 316 I can doall things through Christ who
gives me strength.
SPEAKER_03 (34:24):
If you read the scriptures before that 413
Philippians 413 I'm pretty sureyou said John 316.
SPEAKER_02 (34:31):
Did I see John 316?
I'm sorry.
I apologize it's a late night noyou're good you're good
apparently this is why we don'ttalk about the Bible a lot.
Stop me anyway if you read thescriptures before that he he
talks about he's like I knowwhat it's like to be hungry.
I know what it's like to be wellfed I know what it's like to
(34:52):
have plenty and I know what it'slike to have nothing.
And then he says I can do allthings through Christ who gives
me strength.
So the idea is that we just hearthat last part of I can do all
things who gives but it's likeno no no I know what it's like
to have nothing.
I know what it's like to have alot like that's the idea of
content.
Yeah I've learned to be contentin all things uh whether I have
(35:15):
a lot or I don't have any andthat dude I'm telling you if
you're saying oh I've got thathammer call me.
Because I'd love to talk to youbecause that's a that's a battle
it doesn't matter where you'reat in life that it that that's a
moving target.
SPEAKER_03 (35:31):
Well and I think it even comes back in very much
along the lines of what you'resaying if you cannot be content
in the small things you willnever be content when you have
everything.
SPEAKER_05 (35:41):
No.
SPEAKER_02 (35:41):
Yeah whether it's material items money any of
those things whether it's thethe the perfect job whatever it
is like that's just an emptyhole.
Like you can continue to putstuff in that and it's always
going to be there.
So man I hope this is I mean Iknow when we say it's a tool of
gratitude I don't know what tounpack other than I don't know
(36:05):
try it.
Find something.
Yeah as a I guess my unpack ishey let's give it a whirl let's
get on this bike and ride it andsee what happens.
SPEAKER_05 (36:13):
Try making a short list maybe five things for the
next 10 days or whatever.
SPEAKER_03 (36:18):
I mean that's a very easy place to start if you
cannot find something becauseI'll say this I've been there
where I could not find somethingkeep reminding yourself to look
for it because it will show up.
SPEAKER_02 (36:31):
It will this is where I think having people in
your life this is where I thinkcommunity is huge.
Having people in your life wholove you and care about you who
when you can't see the good canlook into you and speak the good
into you and say no Jess I seethis in your life Michael I see
this in your life we've beenthere yeah Miranda I see this
like Thomas I see these thingsin your life this this is what
(36:54):
you have be thankful for becausesometimes we we don't we can't
see the forest for the trees youknow that whole this whole
saying because we're so in themiddle of it we can't see it but
it's like yeah you and I havebeen like Michael bro like we've
had some hard heart to heartconversations of like okay let's
look at what we're thankful forwhat's with us right now.
(37:15):
What do we have?
And so moving forward I I agreeI think that's a good maybe text
each day text two things thatyou're grateful for from your
some someone in your life inthat relationship and just see
what happens.
They're not looking foranything.
SPEAKER_05 (37:32):
I'll be I'll be honest two things may be a a lot
for me some days.
SPEAKER_02 (37:36):
Yeah it's a lot because well it causes you to
slow down and stop and thinkthough.
Yeah you know to to to take sometime out and be like what am I
grateful for?
What am I grateful for thisperson in my life?
Um those are those are hugechallenges because we're I mean
honestly a lot of us are justwe're just self-centered we we
(37:57):
we care about ourselves regularold people.
Yeah so as we roll into happyThanksgiving you know it's like
well I mean there's so much wecould talk about when it comes
to this uh but this is just onesimple thing uh practice some
gratitude I promise it'll bringyou joy if you do yeah and if
(38:19):
I'm telling you go on if you goon a social media I can't buy
everybody a book because there'sa lot of people out there
listening but I'll say at leastthe first five maybe ten people
I'll say five at least five Ithink is a good if you if you if
five of you because I don't knowhow we put it I'm gonna go log
in right now.
So if the five of you would goto our social media send us a a
(38:39):
message um and just say I'd loveto have the book we'll send it
to you uh and hopefully it makesa change because we're heading
into a tough season for a lot ofpeople this is a great time to
just say I want to be gratefuland uh find thankfulness in all
the little things.
So thank you guys for joining usuh tonight thank you for sharing
(39:00):
as we continue to grow we'veadded another country seems like
that's something that we doevery week around here which is
that's so cool.
SPEAKER_05 (39:07):
It's never not amazing.
SPEAKER_02 (39:09):
We are again we've talked about our 50th episode is
coming up in February uh ifyou're somewhere in or around
Georgia we're trying to do awe're gonna try to do an event a
live event where I'm going tojust literally dive a bunch of
anxiety we're gonna invite abunch of people in for a live
event it's not gonna be easy forme in February for our 50th
(39:32):
episode and so we're gonna havelive we'll have question and
answer time there.
We'll do a live uh broadcast uhwe're gonna push some stuff out
so it should be fun we don'tknow where it's gonna be we
don't there's a lot of things wedon't know uh there's a lot of
unknowns but we're just havingfun and we're still rolling and
I mean it's not long away that'scorrect so but thank you guys so
(39:53):
much for listening it reallyreally I can't tell you enough
how much we appreciate uh youguys listening to us and
following us and sharing ourstuff and so thank you continue
to do so and if you if we canhelp in any way reach out to us
so happy thanksgiving happythanksgiving go doubts go doubt
eat some turkey
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