Gratitude is a powerful thing. It can not only improve your mood, it can re-wire your brain to be happier! So, while there may be a number of negatives in your military life right now, here are 50 things to be thankful for and to help you see things more positively.
- Military life teaches you that difficult circumstances are temporary.
- Your service member is your hero!
- In this lifestyle, you develop resilience you never knew you were capable of.
- Your kids know the value of freedom.
- Homecoming kisses. Enough said.
- You have friends literally all over the world.
- Those friends become your family.
- You get to explore new places every time you move to a new duty station.
- All that exploring means you get to try lots of foods.
- You know exactly what you want in your dream house because you remember every problem you’ve ever had with a rental house. God’s plans aren’t always the same as yours, but they’re always better in the end. #militarylifeClick To Tweet
- You get to go to awesome events like military balls and air shows.
- You become part of a tightly knit community you know you can turn to if you need to.
- You become a more patient person, whether you want to or not.
- You get some cool perks like money for going back to school.
- You get to support and encourage your fellow military spouses.
- You become an expert tour guide in anywhere from 3 to 1 million different cities.
- You basically become MacGyver because things have to get done whether your husband is around or not (and whether you know the proper “fix” or not).
- You become a more compassionate person because you’ve faced so many struggles of your own.
- You know your marriage can withstand challenges because you’ve made it this far.
- Time with your family is that much more meaningful because it is limited.
- You’re more appreciative of little things, like having lunch with your spouse, because some of those small joys are like rare gems in this lifestyle.
- You’ll likely have the opportunity to travel the world if you want to.
- Military hotels—not fancy, but a cheap way to travel on a budget.
- Your collection of curtains and various decor items mean you can settle into pretty much any house. You are an expert nester.
- Your kids are strong, smart, and compassionate because they must learn how to make friends and adapt across many different contexts.
- FaceTime, Skype, or whatever video calling service you use means that no matter where you are in the world, sharing life with people you love is easier than ever before.
- When your hubby has to be gone, you get to have the whole bed to yourself, eat whatever YOU want, and get a pass to indulge in whatever chick flick you like.
- The GI bill means you, your spouse, or your children can get a quality education without going into deep debt.
- Even after your spouse leaves the service, there’s an incredibly supportive community of veterans they can access for a lifetime.
- You become an expert code-cracker because you have to decipher acronyms so often.
- You’ve got amazing organizations on your side, working to make your life easier.
- Your only option for work might be to start your own business and chase a dream you never would have considered before.
- You learn that when you reach your limits, God will come alongside you and carry you through the hard times.
- You know definitively which chain of grocery stores is the best in America because you have shopped in them all.
- If you live overseas, you will realize how amazing it is to be able to go to the grocery store and find everything you need to make any Pinterest recipe you want.
- You get to decorate a different house every few years, which means you can reinvent your style when you want to.
- You don’t have to pay for a gym membership if you don’t want to.
- If you live on base, your neighborhood is extra secure.
- You know more about your child’s education than many people because you must invest so much effort in making sure they transition between schools well.
- You become an incredible advocate for yourself and your family because there’s really no other choice.
- The challenges of this lifestyle will ultimately help you draw closer to God, if you let them.
- Your spouse often has a level of job security that’s uncommon in the civilian world.
- Your spouse’s promotion isn’t just a guessing game that can disappoint you over and over—it’s a defined system so it’s easier to know when a pay raise is possible.
- Military discounts! Yes!
- You learn to have a growth mindset—when you see a problem, you start looking for solutions.
- Not having a permanent home can get old, but it reminds you that ultimately your home is not in this world.
- You and your spouse learn to rely on each other through adventures and trials, making you an awesome team.
- Your friendships are often authentic and real from the very beginning because there’s no time for fake friends.
- You develop the skills to be able to talk to anybody because you meet so many new people on a regular basis.
- You figure out that God’s plans aren’t always the same as yours, but they’re always better in the end.
