Gratitude is about celebrating small moments that we may otherwise overlook.
As I look back on this week, I’m most proud of is that I’ve kept gratitude front and center.
In no particular order:
• I watched my son contribute to his team, in the spirit of competition (which he loves to do).. After several months of training and pushing himself to his physical and mental limits, he earned a spot on the team and is “playing up” against competition, older and more physically mature than he is at the moment. It made me proud to watch him out there, playing hard, having fun, and all with a smile on his face. I'm grateful for the coaches in his life who are instilling or reinforcing the values of being a good teammate and friend.
• Attending virtual meetings has become routine for many, at this point. However, it seems to be transitioning between a commitment we "have to do" towards one we "get to do". We're back to using technology as a tool to bring people together. The tool has become less of an event, and the dialogue and collaborative planning itself has taken center stage. I'm grateful for colleagues who are modeling this for me, in the spirit of collaboration.
• Quite by accident, I bumped into a longtime friend and we caught up, engaging in genuine and meaningful dialogue. We hadn’t seen one another since before the start of events around March 2020. While she shared that she'd experienced some personal loss in her life, she seemed to be doing great, in fact, sharing that she counts her blessings daily. I'm grateful for resources available to us all, that are helping me see "the little things" and bring them to the surface so they may have a positive impact on my life and purpose.
Maybe that's what's inspired me to write this post, reflecting on my own blessings.
Devoting a few moments to jot this all down has reminded me of the importance of creating and keeping a space open in my day, for gratitude.
This is not a new or original idea. But it's one I easily forget or set aside, when days are overwhelming or I am tired or distracted. I'm starting to wonder, however, if gratitude is more of a way to remove mental obstacles than to be "one more thing to do".
While I continue to work on this aspect of my life, I've also sought out resources to get and keep me thinking about this idea, of how to integrate gratitude in my life.
For anyone looking for inspiration in this area, I strongly recommend listening to The Science of Happiness podcast. Five episodes to get you started down the road of gratitude are:
Engaging the five senses in the act of gratitude for even a few minutes each day is guaranteed to make life a little sweeter.
It’s working for me, and I hope it will for you as well.
And if it’s not for you, share it with someone you know, who needs it.
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