You know how Thanksgiving as a federal holiday got its start, don’t you?

I’m not talking pilgrims here … but more about why we all have a few days off this week.

Smack in the middle of horrendous civil war, President Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday of November as a national day of Thanksgiving which should take place every year.

I believe Lincoln understood a fundamental truth in the human soul: how we choose to see our circumstances often dictates the state of our hearts — and, thereby, our future circumstances. After all, if a war-torn nation can turn its eyes upward — so can you and your family.

You should sit in my office with me sometime, watch the procession of “wealthy” and “poor” clients meeting with me and my staff over various things — and watch how the hearts respond. Sometimes my “wealthiest” clients are the most impoverished … and those without many zeroes in their accounts are flat-out rich.

“Rich” is a state-of-mind — and it’s tied to gratitude. It affects how you see savings, retirement, our current economy, and investment. And, of course, gratitude is the enemy of fear. It’s like an opposite magnet for it — walk in gratitude, and fear just melts away.

So, here’s my advice for this week: Whatever financial situation you happen to find yourself in, be thankful. There are hidden blessings in any trial … and hidden fears lying within any windfall. Find and savor the blessings, and watch your family thrive.

For my part, I’m simply grateful for YOU.

I’m grateful for your trust, for your attention to my blogged ramblings (which are taking on a bit of a different flavor this week), for your allowing us to serve you, for your referrals … for so many things.

I don’t forget that it’s people like you who enable me to do what I do — to breathe life and hope into families, and their financial situations. And to help them enjoy the fruit of their labors, while carrying the peace-of-mind that the ever-grasping hand of taxation reaching into their pockets is minimized.

So thank you. For everything.

Warmly,

Ann Hartz
(515) 259-7779
Ann M. Hartz, CPA and Associates