Practicing Gratefulness....When You're Feeling Anything But
It is easy to practice gratefulness when things are falling into place and everything seems rosy. It is quite another matter to do the same when you are out of sorts, when everything feels like a struggle, and your world seems dull and grey. Sometimes our vision gets clouded and all we can "see" are the things that we don't have, the things that aren't right, or that are not making us happy. That is when you have to dig past the muck that is making you feel down and search out things to be grateful for - and there are plenty.
Today (and yesterday) I had to dig deep - to do all that I can to find my way out of the muck that wants to drag me down. My brain wanted to get on the negative thought train; it is faster and easier to access. Catching the positive thought train takes a lot of work. Sometimes I have to try more than one thing. Yoga, meditation, walking outside, listening to music, and gardening are just a few of my tried and true methods back to a positive attitude.
Consciously looking for things to be grateful for today, the first thing that came to mind was how grateful I am to having clean fresh water in ample supply running conveniently from a tap - hot and cold!. And, if that is not enough, we have filtered water from the refrigerator. That should be more than enough to snap me out of any feelings I have of "not enough".
Going past the basics of water and electricity, a roof over my head, and a warm and comfortable place to sleep I thought too of the bounty of food that we enjoy daily. As I kept thinking, I realized that I can count endless things that I am grateful for.
And so, a special mention must be made to how grateful I am that the universe keeps putting in front of me so many wonderful, awesome, talented people that are teaching me how to be a better person and to hold myself accountable my actions and reactions. I am very grateful for the knowledge that I am acquiring that helps me to dig deeper and find a way to work my way through the ebb and flow of positive and negative that I encounter throughout the day.
Feeling more upbeat and positive, I put on some music and did some cooking with some fresh tomatoes from the garden. It was soothing to focus on making a delicious meal. Cooking for my family is one way to to nurture them, and to show them how grateful I am that they are in my life.
Gratefulness creates a sense of well-being and connection to the world around us. I believe that gratefulness is something we need to practice daily. Especially on the days when it feels hard.
Today (and yesterday) I had to dig deep - to do all that I can to find my way out of the muck that wants to drag me down. My brain wanted to get on the negative thought train; it is faster and easier to access. Catching the positive thought train takes a lot of work. Sometimes I have to try more than one thing. Yoga, meditation, walking outside, listening to music, and gardening are just a few of my tried and true methods back to a positive attitude.
Consciously looking for things to be grateful for today, the first thing that came to mind was how grateful I am to having clean fresh water in ample supply running conveniently from a tap - hot and cold!. And, if that is not enough, we have filtered water from the refrigerator. That should be more than enough to snap me out of any feelings I have of "not enough".
Going past the basics of water and electricity, a roof over my head, and a warm and comfortable place to sleep I thought too of the bounty of food that we enjoy daily. As I kept thinking, I realized that I can count endless things that I am grateful for.
And so, a special mention must be made to how grateful I am that the universe keeps putting in front of me so many wonderful, awesome, talented people that are teaching me how to be a better person and to hold myself accountable my actions and reactions. I am very grateful for the knowledge that I am acquiring that helps me to dig deeper and find a way to work my way through the ebb and flow of positive and negative that I encounter throughout the day.
Feeling more upbeat and positive, I put on some music and did some cooking with some fresh tomatoes from the garden. It was soothing to focus on making a delicious meal. Cooking for my family is one way to to nurture them, and to show them how grateful I am that they are in my life.
Gratefulness creates a sense of well-being and connection to the world around us. I believe that gratefulness is something we need to practice daily. Especially on the days when it feels hard.
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