I decided instead of making a New Years resolutions I probably wouldn’t or couldn’t keep I would pick a word & make it my focus for the year. The word I decided upon for 2014 was Gratitude.
I didn’t think it would be that hard a word to focus on. Boy was I wrong. I have been learning I am not as grateful about things in my life as I thought I was or could be.
Reality hit me and I found I am guilty of becoming consumed by everything going on around me that I miss all the wonderful things that those annoyances actually bring.
Let me start with snow. Living in the north east, I and probably everyone else here have complained about all the snow we have had as of late. The snow makes it quite difficult to get around, is hard on your body with all that shoveling, the roads become slick and traffic becomes a hassle. Not to mention just how ugly the snow looks after a day or two. That being said I found myself being convicted of my negativity and began to look at and appreciate the beauty of snow falling, the comfort food I am inclined to make on cold, snowy days and the urge to cuddle with the one you love. See gratitude can be a beautiful gift.
Another example of something I typically find annoying is rain. (Are you seeing a weather pattern here?). Rain can be a wet, sloppy mess. Convicted again I began to think about how the rain will provide beautiful gardens that will bear fruit and vegetables, and how it will cause all those beautiful flowers, I love so much, to grow. Remember jumping in the puddles when you were a child? How much fun was that? Again, I am finding Gratitude can be a beautiful gift.
While searching for gratitude I have been blessed because my eyes are being opened to see the glass as half full, the beauty in petty annoyances. I am learning to have a heart and mind of gratitude. It is making a huge difference in my life. I find I laugh more and love more. My life is full. Full of gratitude.
So you see…Gratitude IS a beautiful gift!
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