What Are You Grateful For?
What else?
My Aunt Kit reached a vibrant 95 years of age this week. She still teaches Tai Chi to her peers at her local community center. She also helps take care of homeless cats. She told me recently, without prompting, that she is grateful that she has inherited her dad’s sense of humor, she is happy to have slow-to-gray hair, and she was thrilled by a recent surprise birthday visit from her out-of-town children.
What are some big things in your life that you appreciate? Or small things? How often do you think about gratitude? How often do you express it?
In our modern world, it’s easy to go into overdrive. Then anxiety ensues and we can become out of sorts. We move at such a fast pace that we become forgetful or don’t pay attention. We move mindlessly from one thing to the next. Wouldn’t it feel so much better to move through the world in balance and ease? Easier said than done, right? We do have tools at our disposal but it’s hard to add another thing to the to-do list.
Being mindful of things we are grateful for helps us stay grounded. A simple way to explore gratitude is to remember the good and bring your attention to that. It’s always there. Appreciate what you do have instead of comparing and noticing what you don’t. When you do this consistently, something shifts. Soon a habit of noticing the good will develop, and your attention will default to that.
We will always experience difficult events and emotions. We all have responsibilities and can get overwhelmed, but we always have things to be grateful for. The more you notice, the better your life will be.
Take Care.