Gratitude on the Journey
Well you know the saying… “Any day above ground…well, is a good day.” We forget how true this is until we are faced with the idea that a loved one – or we ourselves are faced with the concept of a limited amount. I’m not saying be morbid. Just grateful for a new day, a new start, a new chance to focus on the fact that on a very basic level, you are alive. This makes everything else seem so relative.
Finding the Little Things. Too often we are frustrated, waiting for the big events to happen that will bring us something good. Like in the movies. But this is a recipe for feeling disempowered and out of the moment. Whenever we are up in our head, we are not happy. By taking time throughout the day to notice the little things, like a sunny day, a leisurely walk, a call from a good friend, a nice deed done by you…they help the day feel more hopeful and meaningful. Make it a fun challenge to see how many good things you can find! Being Intentional about Seeing the Good puts you in an empowered head space, and tells your brain to be calmer.
Do Some Good. Nothing feels more empowering than being able to do a nice thing for the neighbor or for the community. Even small things like being pleasant at the checkout, letting the other driver merge, to holding the door open. Check on your loved ones. Check on your neighbors. Volunteer virtually. Recycle. Reuse. Compost. Give to charity. When you give you feel stronger, and more hopeful – especially as you begin to experience the impacts of even our small acts of kindness.
Look for the Helpers. The folks who hold the door for you when you’ve had a rotten day. The teachers, the helpful neighbors. Your cousin who always has your back. Your grandmother who loved you to pieces, your coworker who saved your butt that day. Wow I think if I were to sit down and count (assuming I could remember) all the wonderful people along my journey who were there to help, guide, fix, support, teach and encourage me. I regret not being better at not appreciating and acknowledging them more in the moment.
Notice the Coincidences That Are NOT Coincidences. Whatever you believe, make it a fun challenge just to notice the synchronicity throughout your week. The very person you need to help you shows up unasked. The gentle nudges your intuition gives you…or maybe a power greater than you if that is what your heart believes. You follow the nudge and discover with hindsight that thank goodness you did. Either way you can trust and be grateful for the guidance that is pure and sound. You don’t feel so alone, floundering about in world where everything is random or meaningless.
Even the Problems and the People Who Pointed You to Better Things. Ah. This is much harder to do. To be thankful for the awful events, and even harder the awful people who have hurt you? This really about the concept that every situation offers us gentle Life Lessons that if we learn them, we may not have to repeat them. So even though we may not be glad it happened, we can be grateful for it showing us what we need to heal. For example, take the lesson that “You are lovable and deserve healthy and loving relationships.” If you don’t heal the wounds that cause you to believe the opposite, you will continue to have toxic relationships that hurt your life, because we draw to us what we deep down believe we deserve. So, if I am grateful for the recent event pointing this out to me, I have the opportunity to fix it before I draw even worse to me.
I realize that this year has been difficult in so many ways from political strife, the pandemic, economic insecurity and social justice reforms. So much upheaval it may seem hard to be grateful for any of the mayhem and uncertainty. But it is during the storms where we need to find the good. Being grateful for whatever shelter and blessings we have.
