Gratitude. Do we have enough of it? The internet is full of quotes and artwork reminding us to be thankful for what we have, thankful for what we are given, thankful for the simple things. And while we all know it, and all know we should, the question comes down to: are we really?
I would like to think I am thankful, but the truth is, I don’t get up in the morning and think “wow, I am so lucky to be alive.” I think of all the things I have to do that day, and maybe some of the things I should have done already, but still have not done. It is hard to be grateful all the time. As much as we want to be, we become preoccupied with our own lives, our own world, our list of things we think we need and deserve.
Then we see someone hard on their luck. Someone without a leg, hobbling along as they try to sell ice cream on a rainy day. It is then that it hits us, that we have so much for which to be grateful. Then the guilt comes… Why is it that we only feel gratitude when we see how much less others have? It shouldn’t be that way, right? We should feel grateful all the time.
That is unrealistic, and we are only setting ourselves up for failure if we think that it’s the only way to go. As my yoga teacher said, gratitude comes from recognising moments for which to be grateful. If you can stop, pause, and realise that this is something to be grateful for, and be truly thankful, and if you can carry that feeling with you throughout the next few hours, then you are doing well. So what if you don’t find anything else that day? For a moment you were truly grateful. Consistently doing that will promote that attitude, and if you find one thing to be grateful for each day, then you are doing very well.
It’s difficult to practice, but it is well worth it.
So stop at the end of your day. Pause and reflect. Think of one thing for which you can be truly grateful. Assess your day and choose something that you are so thankful for it fills your heart. Carry that with you as you sleep. And even if your first thought in the morning isn’t “yay for this breath”, at some point in the day, you will remember that first breath, and you will be grateful.
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