Grateful Every Day to Live in this Beauty!
Dear God, I sit quietly in appreciation for You as the Source of omnipotent Abundance manifested everywhere through every thing and every one. I give thanks, albeit too infrequently, to You as the Source that brings people and events into my life at exactly the right time and place. Gregge Tiffen (The Power of Giving Thanks – November, 2007)
So begins Gregge Tiffen’s letter to God in his November, 2007 booklet, one of five years of monthly booklets, each a potent mystical musing containing guidance on navigating life on this planet from a practical metaphysical perspective.
That short opening paragraph prompted my awareness of two important things. First, give thanks more often. Heck, I aim to make gratitude a way of life. Gregge’s words also prompted deep gratitude for the people in my life.
There’s little, if any, question that evoking feelings of gratitude positively impacts our health and well-being. A quick Google search yields hundreds of sources and studies that measure and document just that.
Our task is to use that knowledge moment to moment, day to day, no matter what we face. Individually and collectively we need to generate avalanches of gratitude. We need to allow ourselves to be overwhelmed with gratefulness for our blessings, those that are obvious and those that may hide in disguise. We do so with practice, moment to moment, day to day.
As I reflected, I felt guided to begin making a list of the people I’m grateful for. It began something like this:
Cousin Marty, James Michael and his family
Neighbors who shared their bountiful garden harvest much of the summer
Another neighbor who installed insulation in the crawl space under my mudroom
A community member who recently said to me ‘as a woman who also lives alone, you can call me anytime, 24/7, you need help’
Friends who shifted their plans to have me over for dinner and brought dinner here so I could take care of an ailing Cool Hand Luke
And, on my list went, soon going beyond my local community (colleagues worldwide, activists on the front lines of change, etc.). My avalanche of gratitude had begun. Like a tiny movement that can create an avalanche of snow and ice in the mountains, my list kept growing, leading to vast, deep, heartfelt gratefulness.
As my heart opened, my list expanded to include those who ‘push my buttons’ whether it be posting snarky comments on social media or expressing negativity in conversation. It encompassed media as well as elected officials whose words, tone, and decisions I loathe. I’m grateful for each and every one because in their aggravation of me, they push me to define my boundaries, my standards, what I will stand up for, and what I will stand in opposition to. We are living in a time when that will become more and more important, but for today I’m simply grateful for them all. What about you? Will you add some gratitude to life today?
Grateful for my neighborhood!