Oxford Dictionary defines gratitude as: “the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.”
Last night, after a traditional and almost daily family dinner (something my family has been in the practice of for years) I spent some solid quality time with my dad. We were able to just sit outside, comfortably observing the remaining sliver of light radiating from the sunset onto our spacious yet quaint backyard. We sat and watched the leaves lightly rustle between the trees, the air circulating around us, the smell of spring blowing past us. We talked about how grateful we are to look before us and see physical resemblance of peace; the world continues on its path whether we are happy, sad, mad, excited, frustrated, and even content. Our emotions have very little impact on our physical surroundings. Our actions however, can have a lasting and rippling affect, influencing all of our surroundings. We both agreed that we are so lucky, in the midst of this chaos, we can just sit and watch.
The events of the past few months I have learned that I really don’t have as much control as I believe I do, but I can control my actions. I don’t have control over the rise and fall of the economy, but I can choose to invest. I can’t control the availability of supplies I have access too, but I can control how I use what I have and try to choose an appropriate time to purchase what I need. I don’t have the ability to control my employers choices but I can show my appreciation for what they have given me and commit to doing what I can to help them. I don’t have a choice in who will be hurt by this virus, but I do have the option to try and protect those around me by being cautious of my own actions. I don’t have control over who stays in my life and who leaves, but I am able to practice gratitude and share how thankful I am for the people I do have. I am thankful for my health and the health of my loved ones. I am thankful for my employer, lululemon, and their never-ending support. I am thankful for my home and my bed. I am thankful for my mind and creativity. I am thankful for what I have because it shows me that’s all I really need.
I hope that you can find what you are grateful for too. If you would like to practice this but are not sure where to start I have attached a gratitude list link to help. Happy Wednesday!