I am a grateful person. I am. I always have been. I am constantly thanking people and God, and counting my blessings. I guess it could come across as bragging or trying to look like I have a perfect life when I post something on facebook that seems so peachy, when actually I'm having a really bad day, BUT that's not me being fake. Stopping and thinking about all the GOOD things in my life is what helps me balance and deal with the not-so-great things. And it works! Living in a state of gratitude is a great way to be. It really does put things in perspective, and also keeps me positive. I highly recommend it. Anyways, I'm not saying I'm perfect, and I'm always super grateful, but I do enjoy having an attitude of gratitude.
You might be wondering where all of this came from? Well, at yoga tonight (that's three days in a row of yoga, and YES I am sore!) the instructor was discussing thanksgiving and being grateful, and it really inspired me. She shared this quote with the class...
"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow." -Melody Beattie
I love this quote. It reminds us that gratitude isn't just a feeling we have in response to "getting something," but an attitude we can adopt toward life! It also says we should appreciate all that has happened in our lives. Past mistakes have meaning, because they helped us get where we are today. Rather than "permanent fixtures" we take for granted, our family and friends become precious gifts that bring joy and companionship.
Another thing my instructor said tonight (which really hit home, since I always have a vision for how things "should be" and then get disappointed if they are not exactly that) was that gratitude isn't just about being thankful but also putting our full trust in God that all is happening as it should be. It can mean surrendering and going with the flow, releasing attachment to what things might look like, knowing that there's a master plan. She said the more she surrenders, the more the universe delivers, and the more thankful and trusting she becomes, and then the cycle continues. Pretty awesome to think about.
Anyways, that is just a little food for thought. Try to adopt an attitude of gratitude this week, and then let me know how it goes. I think you will be happy and feel very lucky, even on the hard days.
