#THANKFUL FOR.........

“Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.”
―Epicurus

Image Source: Google image

Hola Les Amis,

How was your weekend?

Mine was busy- wedding, church and all the beautiful craziness of life.

For some reason, I was overwhelmed, discouraged and all that and something my baby said struck me- ‘Rather than whine about all the things you don’t have, why don’t you be grateful for all you have’ and it felt like God was speaking to me ‘cos from then on, every conversation I had over the weekend tied back to gratitude and being courageous....

And on top of that, one of my favourite bloggers- Yes, Marc and Angel spoke about it...

Here’s their beautiful piece below:

We forget to give thanks continuously, for all things.  Since every step we have taken has led us right to where we are, and all things have contributed to our development, when we finally do pause to give thanks, we try to include ALL things in our gratitude.

So that’s what I want to reflect on today – a few quick reminders about some things you, too, likely forget to be grateful for…

1.  The unique privilege of being YOU.

Too many days are wasted comparing ourselves to others and wishing to be someone or something we aren’t.  Every one of us has our own strengths and weaknesses, and it is only when you accept everything you are, and aren’t, that you will truly find the happiness and fulfilment you seek.

2.  Every single experience that led you to today.

Life isn’t about a single moment of great triumph and attainment.  It’s about the trials and errors that get you there – the blood, sweat, and tears – the small, inconsequential things you do every day.  It all matters in the end – every step, every regret, every decision, and every affliction.

The seemingly useless happenings add up to something.  The minimum wage job you had in high school.  The evenings you spent socializing with co-workers you never see anymore.  The hours you spent writing thoughts on a personal blog that no one reads.  Contemplations about elaborate future plans that never came to be.  All those lonely nights spent reading novels and news columns and comics strips and fashion magazines and questioning your own principles on life and sex and religion and whether or not you’re good enough just the way you are.

All of this has strengthened you.  All of this has led you to every success you’ve ever had.  All of this has made you who you are today. 

3.  What your daily struggles are teaching you.

Challenges are what make life interesting; working to overcome them is what gives life meaning.

4.  The gift of now.

In between all your goals, priorities, obligations, and everything else that might appear on one of your upcoming to-do lists, there are moments called “life” that still have to be lived and enjoyed.

The trick is to make the very best of now, and value it for what it’s worth.  In other words, don’t wish all your time away by waiting for better times ahead.  Smile, right now, because you can.  

5.  The way every moment is a new beginning.

If you feel stressed and stuck, let go, take a deep breath and appreciate the fact that this moment is a new beginning.  Stop thinking about what might have been and starting looking at what can be.  Right now is a perfect time to start over.  This moment is a brand new opportunity to rebuild what you truly want.

6.  The familiar faces, places and situations you rely on daily.

As Cynthia Ozick once said, “We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude.”

Have you ever noticed that the more familiar you become with an amazing person, a beautiful place, or an ideal situation in your life, the more you seem to take it for granted?  It’s like you somehow believe life is supposed to be this way – like it won’t ever change.  And most of the time, all the maintenance these wonderful things need is a little time, attention, and deliberate appreciation.

So how often do you pause to appreciate your life and everyone and everything in it?  How often do you stop dead in your tracks and think, “Wow, thank you”?

7.  A reasonably healthy body.

In other words, if you got sick today you could recover.

8.  The fact that you are online reading this.

Not only are you wealthy enough to be online right now, but you can read too.

Believe it or not, only about one third of the world’s population has internet access.  And, even crazier than that, there are roughly 774 million people in the world who aren’t educated enough to read.

Afterthoughts

We all have a whole lot to be grateful for.  So at the end of the day before you close your eyes, smile and be happy with where you’ve been and grateful for what you have experienced and overcome.

Life is rarely perfect, but it’s always pretty darn good.

Your turn…

What would you add to the list?

What do you sometimes forget to be grateful for?