Another Look at Gratitude

Thanksgiving Day has come and gone. Hopefully our reasons for giving thanks is ever present. Setting aside a particular day helps us focus our attention on our many blessing, but when thanksgiving and gratitude becomes a part of the way we live, then our lives begin to have more meaning. It's one thing to feel grateful when things are going the way we want them to. It requires a more conscious effort when we are dealing with pain, discouragement, disappointment, depression, or a challenging situation of any kind. The list of possible reasons for refusing, or forgetting, to be grateful could be quite extensive. However, the older I get the more convinced I am that everyone has hard stuff. Really hard stuff. Maybe it's supposed to be that way. Since what goes around comes around, if we dwell on the hard stuff, we're likely to get more of it. By contrast, once we start to recognize and verbalize our blessings, like magic, we seem to have more blessings!

In Chapter Twenty-One of Stelladaur: Finding Tir Na Nog, Reilly and Norah visit a place called Zora "where the sun always rises, shining hope into every moment". They meet Flavio Xanthipee, a yellow haired horseman who shows them some interesting things about gratitude. "...your collective gratitude offers answers to the questions locked inside of you, but which can only be revealed upon your asking," Flavio Xanthipee said. "Look for the good that emerges out of difficulties, challenges and sorrow, and you will always find reasons to be grateful. Gratitude dispels the gloom of any dark moment and opens our hearts to hope."

Next time something doesn't go the way you had hoped, or you encounter a real disappointment, try simply expressing gratitude for the opportunity for growth, and the greater good that will come of it. Trust that it will come. And it will. With practice, you'll see that although a particular circumstance or situation may not immediately change, your perspective changes. And your heart opens up a little more. With an open heart, the reasons to be grateful will be endless.