A Life of Gratitude
Life is hard right now…
People are experiencing the most stressful and challenging times of their lives. Is there even room to practice gratitude?
The health benefits of practicing gratitude are well documented—like decreasing our general stress level and living more fulfilled lives. Yet, when overall life stress is at its peak, gratitude often can be no where in sight. Humans are wired with a fight or flight response that is so strong, and when we need to practice gratitude the most, our brains are relentlessly working through all the real and perceived dangers around us. The bills that won’t stop coming in the mail, the never ending list of work priorities, the long line at the local coffee shop when you’re already late, the traffic jam, the school schedule that keeps shifting, a world of political and pandemic unrest…where can we find the gratitude we so desperately need in these moments of angst?
A wise person once said, “gratitude is the antidote to everything.” And by “everything” she meant how we manage and view our life circumstances. Everyone has challenges and difficulties in life—some more than others. It may feel nearly impossible to balance the intense grief and anger we experience when someone we love dies with feelings of gratitude. In the end, life does go on—and our challenge as humans is to decide how we choose to accept what’s been handed to us, and how we choose to move forward.
Even with life’s smaller annoyances like being stuck in traffic when all you want to do is get home, choosing to accept and see the situation in a positive light only helps you. Stressing about being stuck when you have no control over the situation only hurts you. It doesn’t change your situation. We all have automatic thoughts that we can’t control, pain that is real and deep and must be acknowledged.
What can we control? Time spent suffering—the length of time and impact the negative thoughts have on us and remain with us. Sustained pessimism and negativity is the poisonous venom that stops us from living a healthy life. The choice is ours to be thankful for that traffic jam—maybe what we needed was a forced stop; to be still, to breathe, to be grateful that we have a family, pet, or comfortable bed waiting for us at home.
Throughout November, we commit to the following:
Abundant expression of gratitude
Choosing to see the light instead of the dark
Practicing mindfulness to intentionally reframe negative thoughts
Surrounding ourselves with others who inspire us to be more grateful and be our best selves
Will you join us in practicing these commitments or others that inspire you? We can all use the positive energy now more than ever.
Be well, be grateful, be the best you—
Holly & Amy
If you are struggling with mental health concerns, please connect with a professional who can help. If you need assistance finding a resource, contact us.
