It’s Wednesday, which means it’s time to write a post about gratitude!
You can read my previous posts by clicking here.
If we look at our planet as a school, then it isn’t a stretch to see each new experience as a lesson – part of the curriculum. And our homework is to put into practice each lesson that we are taught – apply it to our lives and see if it sinks in.
I write a lot about gratitude, and I find it fascinating that there are so many moments in life where we get to make a choice – moments where it may have been easier to take the road that leads away from feeling appreciative. We get to choose which road to take. Of course it’s easy to feel grateful when everything is going great and everything in your life is working. But what if it’s not? What if something “bad” happens? Being able to step away from this experience for a moment and open up to the bigger picture, the lessons, and the gratitude that can be extracted from it truly helps gain perspective and increase overall happiness.
I got the chance to experience this firsthand yesterday. One of the lingering effects from the car accident that I was in years ago is that my back goes out a lot, which doesn’t feel the best. So Dan has become my own personal chiropractor and for years has performed manipulations to put it back in. It usually works well, but last night was different. We heard a loud pop along my ribcage followed by intense pain. Not a sound or feeling that I wanted to hear in that moment or ever.
At first I began to freak out – Was it broken? How will I get these orders packed? Could I carry my luggage through the airport for an upcoming trip? Why was the pain getting worse? How would I sleep? How long would it take to heal?
And then I took a step back. And I began to feel grateful that it wasn’t worse – that it wasn’t broken, that it didn’t hurt more, that it didn’t require a trip to the hospital. I am still processing the possible blessings that are occurring as a result of this injury. But I am on the lookout for them, rather than stewing in a space of “why me” and yuckiness. I am opening up to feeling grateful for each and every experience that occurs in my life – including this one.
Gratitude truly can be found in every single moment. We can choose to feel grateful no matter what is happening around us or to us. We get to decide what to focus on, and for that I am grateful.
Wow, Jodi, I have to go back and read your other posts to find out about your accident. I’m sorry to hear that. But I’m happy you are able to be grateful in the midst of it all. I do my best to always step outside of a situation I’m in to see the larger picture. If I can see the larger picture I know there’s always something within it to be grateful for.
So to your question, I am grateful for my wonderful life. I am grateful for the peace I have. I am grateful for the two loves of my life, God and my hubby. And I am grateful for being without want or need. Thanks for giving us a forum to remind ourselves of the many reasons we have to be grateful.
I’m so happy to have found your blog today! I’ve been unusually overwhelmed lately; just this morning I was thinking about the approaching Thanksgiving holiday. I reminded myself of the importance of practicing gratitude, and how weary I can find myself when I forget to be grateful…so I found it timely to have discovered the link to your blog to end my workday!
I’m enjoying your archives and mentally piecing together my own list of things for which to be grateful. Thank you for the reminder that “gratitude truly can be found in every single moment.”
Hi Michelle,
Thank you so much for commenting! I’m so glad you’re here! 🙂
It’s so true that we can always find something to be grateful for. And because what we focus on is what expands, why not focus on positive things and create a positive life? I know that it’s not always so simple, and it does take being conscious to continue to bring yourself to the present and shift to gratitude – but it’s a practice that’s so worth getting the hang of. 🙂 I look forward to getting to know you!
Powerful post Jodi. We do get to chose what to focus on and what’s important. For me, I’m grateful for exactly what I have.
Alex
Thank you so much, Alex! We all have so much to be grateful for.