Gratitude - turns what we have into Enough

As most of you know, each year I pick a few year-long projects that I work on throughout the entire year. One of my 16 goals for 2016 was a Gratitude Jar. As I chronicled my thoughts, I had a meaningful reminder of the everyday things that make my life unique and wonderful. I will admit that there were days that challenged me; challenged me to be as good as I can be, to be thankful for the blessing of another day even when I felt that everything had gone wrong and that I had not lived up to my full potential. For this very reason, the Gratitude Jar. It made me stop for a few moments each day to think about one thing or moment or deed that I felt grateful for on that particular day. This helped me realize that
each day IS a gift.

We go through life hoping we will find the prize – the whole, perfect loaf of bread if you will, but while we are focusing so intently on that goal, we are missing all the crumbs, walking right by them. If we would just gather those crumbs, they would add up to a full loaf before long and feed us in the same way. I began trying to see and appreciate all the crumbs in my life. There were so many little things that mattered – meeting a friend for coffee, watching my grandchildren play, enjoying the perfection of peaches in season at the farmers' market. 

As I became practiced at noticing the little things to be thankful for, the bigger things began to come into focus as well. Some of them had been there all along, but I had not been able to see them for what they were: important learning experiences that were teaching me more about who I am, how I relate to others, and what I want out of life. Yes, even those parts of my life that I had not imagined or wanted also helped me to see the person I really am, and lead me into an even better future. I could learn to be thankful for it all.

* Gratitude puts situations into perspective. When I can see the good as well as the bad, it becomes more difficult to complain and stay stuck. 

* Gratitude helps me realize what I have. This can lessen my need for wanting more all the time.

* Gratitude strengthens relationships, improves health, reduces stress, and, in general, makes me happier.

Both the years and experiences have brought me here to where I stand today, but it is the thankfulness that opened the windows of opportunities, of blessings, of unique experiences to flow my way. I am also very thankful for the people, for the ideas, for the chance to work and labor, and to produce results, all of that has brought me to this place. I am grateful for it all.

Gratitude means thankfulness, counting my blessings, noticing simple pleasures, and acknowledging everything that I receive. It means learning to live my life as if everything were a miracle, and being aware on a continuous basis of how much I have been given. Gratitude shifts my focus from what my life lacks to the abundance that is already present. To say I feel grateful is not to say that everything in my life is necessarily great. It just means I am trying to be aware of my blessings.

I took for granted the good that was already present in my life. I began to start finding joy in the small things instead of holding out for big achievements–before allowing myself to feel gratitude and joy. Another way to use giving thanks to appreciate life more fully is to use gratitude to help you put things in their proper perspective. I have found that when things do not go my way, I need to remember that every difficulty carries within it the seeds of an equal or greater benefit. In the face of adversity I need to ask myself: “What is good about this?” “What can I learn from this?” and “How can I benefit from this?”

Once I became oriented toward looking for things to be grateful for, I found that I began to appreciate simple pleasures and things that I previously took for granted. Gratitude should not be just a reaction to getting what I want, but an all-the-time gratitude, the kind where I notice the little things and where I constantly look for the good even in unpleasant situations. I wanted to start bringing gratitude to your experiences, instead of waiting for a positive experience in order to feel grateful. 

If you are inspired to create your own gratitude jar this year, if you stick with it, you will quickly see that it is more than a fun craft project. Here are a few lessons to keep in mind if you decide to adopt this practice.

1. Gratitude is a verb - While it is one thing to see a photo of a gratitude jar and think ‘How cute! I should do that!’ it is a completely different story when it comes to actually sitting down and expressing the reasons why you are grateful. Gratitude is deeper than an ‘attitude’ or filling a jar with pieces of paper. Through this process, I learned how much it demands you to be more present every day. Think about how often our minds drift to how much we do not have and how far we have left to go. Take a moment and think about what you have right now. The wisdom that you have, how far you have come and notice the difference in how you feel.

2. Seek out the lessons during the hard times - It is easy to feel grateful when everything is going well, but what do you do when you are having a bad day? Trust me, there will be days when you do not want to write anything and that is okay. Sit with that feeling and write about that instead. During the periods when I felt really down or round myself wanting to resist the process I had to dig deep and ask myself - 'How do I feel in this moment? 'Why do I feel this way' or 'What am I learning?' Looking back now as I read the entries, I am proud that I let myself feel and express my emotions instead of glaze over them.

3. Do not try to be perfect - If you miss a day, it is not the end of the world. You do not have to ‘keep up’, or write a certain quota per day. This is a record of your life and you do not need to impress anyone. Author your own story.

4. Create your own rules - When you start your jar you may be tempted to create or follow a set of rules. If you find yourself thinking: You should write at least 3 things you’re grateful for each day; Don’t open your jar until Dec 31^st; Only record your happy moments. Forget the ‘rules’ and do what works for you. If the picture of the jar that you saw on Pinterest says that you have to wait a year before reading what’s inside and you don’t want to, then don’t. Break the rules and create your own. Your jar. Your life. Your Way.

My outlook on life has shifted. A quick glance at my Gratitude Jar reminds me that life is full of wonderful things to be grateful for and I have the strength and support to overcome anything. Appreciating yourself for your strengths AND your imperfections (not in spite of them), allows you to find a sense of belonging and to feel more connected to life. Sometimes it is the simple things that make life wonderful: the beautiful sunrise, fresh strawberries from a farmer's market, a smile from a stranger, or an encouraging text from a friend. Taking time to appreciate those moments of joy helps you to cherish your life and yourself.

After this year, I am viewing things in a new way. I have a renewed appreciation and a sense of not taking things for granted. I am thankful for the things I have as well as the things I no longer have. These are my teachers, and I am blessed to have them in my life. I would love to hear about the challenges that have made you more grateful for life. 

My Life Verse Is.../My Word is...

Hebrews 13:5 - New King James Version (NKJV): Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Adam was in paradise, yet not content; some angels in heaven were not content; but the apostle Paul, though humble and empty, had learned in every state, in any state, to be content. Christians have reason to be content with their present lot. This promise contains the sum and substance of all the promises; "I will never, no, never leave thee, no, never forsake thee." In the original, there are no less than five negatives put together, to confirm the promise: the true believer shall have the gracious presence of God with him, in life, at death, and for ever. Be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."

I feel this verse isn't saying that one should never be ambitious about earning more money. The point is not about trying to either earn a living or even about financially doing well in life. The point is about contentment. It is a human desire to want more. In fact, most advertising is based on the fact that people are never satisfied with what we already have. This verse is also not saying that one has to take a vow of poverty to be a good Christian. The issue is about contentment in life. How do we be content with what we have? It starts by letting go of jealousy. That is why the 10th Commandment is to not desire our neighbor's "stuff". The idea is to learn to have contentment in life while still being ambitious to accomplish our goals. One can go through life either thinking, I need more to be happy, or I can learn to be content with what I have. There is nothing wrong with being ambitious or trying to earn more. The challenge in life is to say, What if I do not make any more, can I still be happy with what I currently have?

I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee - These words were spoken to Joshua in Joshua 1:5: "As I was with Moses, so will I be with thee; I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee." They were spoken also by David to Solomon in 1 Chronicles 28:20: "David said to Solomon his son, Be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed; for the Lord God, even my God, will be with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee." There are no less than five negatives in this short sentence, and these connected with two verbs and one pronoun twice repeated. To give a literal translation is scarcely possible; it would run in this way: "No, I will not leave thee; no, neither will I not utterly forsake thee." Those who understand the genius of the Greek language, and look at the manner in which these negatives are placed in the sentence, will perceive at once how much the meaning is strengthened by them, and to what an emphatic and energetic affirmative they amount.

This promise is made to those who are patiently bearing affliction or persecution for Christ's sake; and may be applied to any faithful soul in affliction, temptation, or adversity of any kind. Trust in the Lord with thy whole heart, and never lean on your own understanding; for he has said, "No, I will never leave you or forsake you.” 

Indeed, God has NEVER left me or forsaken me!

 

Truth, like knowledge, is surprisingly difficult to define. I am not going to define truth, I am just going to say that my year was based on honesty and genuineness. New hope arose and made me very happy. This word guided me through 2016! It supported me in my daily struggles and situations that at times appeared hopeless. This word always showed me the silver lining so that I do not ever need to worry.