Living
with Gratitude
“Let
us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming
gardeners who make our souls blossom.”
Marcel
Proust
The
12-Step folks have a saying about gratitude, “Fake it 'til you make
it.” One reference, Courage to Change, suggests starting
with the letter A, and making an alphabetical list of all the things
that inspire appreciation. It feels a little desperate and stilted at
first, but as one continues to work, it begins to flow more
honestly. You don't have to make the whole list at once, but one or
two letters a day is good; and you can even break the rules, and take
them out of order. (I'm all about breaking the rules!) By the time
you finish, you may realize, even in the most difficult of
circumstances, an attitude of gratitude is possible.
Being
around people who make us happy is a great part of that. Just as
there comes a time in every life to decide whose path we will follow,
there is a point at which we must decide who to keep in our life, and
who to let go. If there is someone who sucks out all our energy, or
who is hyper-critical, we must find a way to give them our blessing,
and let them go their way. When it's a family member, or a co-worker
with whom we can't eliminate contact all together, then we must find
a means of minimizing the amount of time we spend with them. This is
not a selfish act; it is simple self-preservation. Being around toxic
people can, and will, make you sick.
Counting
our blessings doesn't have to be deep or complicated. It can be as
simple as appreciating the cool morning, or the birds who are
singing. It can be that first sip of coffee. The small things add up
to something big—a life grounded in gratitude.
In
the Spirit,
Jane
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