When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around.
This quote by Willie Nelson arrived in my email recently. In its brevity it captures the essence of gratitude and how we are its beneficiaries. It is a beautiful reminder especially as we gather to give thanks. Its arrival was perfectly timed for me and perhaps for you.
Consider this. Recall the last time you were upset, dismayed or disappointed. Too often when we slip into these or even more gripping emotional states, we can get sucked into a vortex of despair. If the whirlpool is strong, these feelings intensify whether or not the situation or circumstances that started the downward spiral warrant. Once this happens it can take lots of effort, energy and time to release the hold. Some of us are feeling this now given the state of the world, the home front, challenging situations or strained relationships.
Sound familiar?
Given the natural flow of daily life, with its cycle of ups and downs, it makes sense to figure out the best way to pull yourself out of the whirlpool of angst as quickly as possible.
What if when you find that your mood is heading to or already reached the subbasement, you stopped to remind yourself of your blessings?
Even musings about what is missing in our lives withers in comparison to what is already there. If we are honest about this, most of us would have to admit that the list of blessings is significantly longer than the list of what is missing.
Of course everyone’s list is different. Some are blessed with incredible health while others cope with ailments and illness. Some live amidst incredible fortune while others want for more. Some cope with loss while others relish the time they have or had with loved ones. Some live under oppression while others need to continue fighting to preserve the freedoms they cherish. The list goes on and on and on . . .
Interestingly, everything on the above short list is a blessing even if we believe its supply is limited or otherwise constrained – some degree of health, some amount of bounty, the experience of love or exercised freedom.
Human nature propels us to strive for something better or greater. But this tendency can cloud awareness to what we already enjoy. This inclination can totally obscure blessings that deserve to be treasured. It’s an embedded trap. Avoiding it can shift your mood and likely change your life!
Embodying an attitude of gratitude won’t fix everything that you consider wrong in life, but it will go a long way to change your everyday experience. Living in gratitude infuses strength and emboldens hope while removing the shadow cast by the sense of lack. So, consider joining those who, like Willie Nelson, have turned their life around by realizing just how blessed they are.
Hoping gratitude uplifts like the magic carpet of our childhood dreams. . .
With warm wishes for a happy thanksgiving.
Joanne
