We are all constantly challenged in a number of ways. I have committed myself to seeing the world around me, as well as the challenges which confront me, Through the Lens of Gratitude (the title of my most recent book). Looking at life through the lens of gratitude enables me to ask the most important question I can address: Where is God in this? (If mention of God turns someone off, I recommend simply asking Where is the good in this?) This is both an invitation and a challenge to see the opportunity being presented to us in any given situation.
I’m grateful that I have this meditation method to be able to let go of my false negative minds – thoughts 24/7! What would I do without this meditation method? Not to mention all the people around me and the world who are doing this together! I was looking for a supportive environment or a support group and it has been in font of my face this whole time ! I can create the support group within our center or community! I’m so grateful and amazed! I’m facing challenges just like all of us are !
I can be the change I want to see by starting another session to offer all of us ! Put it out there on zoom for all of the people in our community- or maybe the higher levels who have been more adapt at letting go and would benefit from going even deeper !
Thank you so much ☺️! I love universe and I’m grateful for these challenges because I can help others too!
I have a habit of seeing the negative things first before the positive. I didn’t do X or I failed at doing Y. I can accept these statements as they are but also remind myself I still learned something from it. Acknowledgment is the first step. And for that, I am grateful 🙏🏽🧡
This makes me think of someone’s advice to ask yourself not “Why is this happening to me?” and instead ask “Why is this happening for me?” to find the lesson or nugget you want to keep.
I was told by a professional once that it is in everyone’s natural tendency to see the negative first. It was our ancestors’ self preservation to scan for potential dangers and it’s in our “brain DNA”. We are not responsible for our first negative thought only for our second thought. Just our recognition of tendency towards the negative is a powerful tool.
Jennifer, it’s human nature. I do it too out of protection. It ultimately comes down to can we look beyond that and shift our focus to the positives or not.
Gratefulness may help me to find the right words and images and also possibly deep moments of stillness in order to soon interact with a group of kindred people and to stay open to their needs and challenges in order to support them to letting go or to hopefully help them transforming possible hindering inner positions and perspectives while apporaching the new year.
i agree, dear sparrow, it really does work to face the challange, going through instead of going around. Then a grateful perspective helps to find the strength to go through and to follow the light.
Stress can make old behavior rear its head. I’ve been experiencing that in recent weeks and find myself wanting to fight, flee or freeze. A grateful perspective keeps me owning my feelings instead of them owning me. Coming to this site each day, sharing with each other, helps me remember that Life is trustworthy and will always show me a way if I let it.
In her epic SAND talk, rapper and inter-spiritual theologian Mona Haydar teaches that in Arabic the word human—insan—comes from the verb nasayan—to forget. Part of our design, it appears, is that as humans we forget our original nature. This is why we must become beauty-makers, she says. Through beauty “everything we do becomes worship.” We only need to remember to “be our most beautiful and primal self.” All our spiritual paths are journeys of remembering. It might as well be our motto: Remembering together.
(scienceandnonduality.com)
Gratefulness helps me pick myself up and put my whole self in the journey!
Just this morning I was reading another selection. The scripture was “take my yoke upon you….and you will find rest ” The author was commenting that there is a conflict there. As I read further he was saying a yoke is a tool to lighten the load, to make it lighter. This tool balances the weight distribution. This was helpful. So gratitude is actually a yoke. A different perspective.
Thank you for your explanation. The text is so well known, expressed in one of the most beautiful peaces of music by G.F. Haendel, “The Messiah”. But as far as i remember, it is “take His yoke upon you… so let´s go, friends! and find rest. One of the most beautiful presentations I found here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1goECeM4gn4&list=PLBrs-r77FPJKwj71KvnuwTiewVetpckME&index=18, if you love Classical Music
I try to apply a grateful perspective to all situations.
Luckily, I don’t currently have too many challenges and in my life. Just the day to day challenges of existence.
I have multiple ongoing challenges concerning loved ones. 2 of these challenges have been great burdens on my heart for the last 10 and 23 years . So I cannot apply my saying “this too shall pass”. But I can apply “It could be worse ” and when I choose to view my situation through the lens of gratefulness, my stress lifts and grief lessens as my faith increases . When I can be grateful even “for” my challenges, instead of in spite of them, my joy peeks through the dark cloud of dispair. When I look also for the lessons and gifts bestowed onto me because of these challenges < authentic friendships, love, becoming a healthier and better human, a strong relationship with myself and my God; I begin to feel blessed . For me gratefulness turns burdens into blessings.
I tend to have “white coat” syndrome when it comes to seeing my doctors. And I have good doctors who are smart, have my best interests at heart and work with me as partners. And yet…
So as of late, I am switching my thinking from fear to seeing my health care team truly as my partners who want the best for me. And in that, grateful for the access I have, for the space to communicate honestly, and that I have had the freedom to choose these individuals to support me. I still can get a little wiggy, and it is getting less so. ❤️❄️❤️
Did we just get asked this recently? Perhaps the universe wants me to look at my challenges differently than I have been.
I mentioned my work challenge before, so I’ll mention my car challenge today.
It’s been in the shop for over a week, having to have it towed to the dealer from my local shop due to a seized engine (we thought it was the alternator). I’m in a rental that USAA won’t pay for since I wasn’t in an accident, and the past week has been super stressful waiting to hear from the dealer since they have to climb the corporate ladder with these things. I did, however, get news yesterday afternoon that they are replacing my engine for free, which is amazing. They did say they don’t replace belts & hoses and of course are recommending that I replace them. We’ll get their quote and share it with the local shop to see what they would charge and go from there. And they also let me know that they’ll put me in a loaner and Hyundai will reimburse me for my rental, which is also a relief. A grateful perspective in all of this could help remind me that I am lucky to have a car at all. I am lucky to have jobs that I need to drive to. And I am really lucky that this debacle happened now because my extended engine warranty expires at the end of this year!
I am also reminded that this issue is nothing compared with what others are dealing with. Car problems are nothing compared to losing loved ones, major illnesses, and so many other things. I feel guilty complaining about my car stress when I think about what others are going through.
Sunnypatti, we did not too long ago. Even for those who have the same updates, it either helps us maintain stability or see how much we’ve improved within the handling of our situations.
Having driven clunkers my whole life,
dear SunnyPatti,
I can truly sympathize with your car troubles . . .
they can be absolutely devastating,
to both morale and pocket book.
I am grateful though,
that you have a silver lining
in that your warranty is still good,
and that Hyundai will reimburse you for the rental . . .
that’s a pretty good bright side. ♥
Even though this SUV is 10 years old, I wouldn’t consider it a clunker. After my last car was totaled 2 1/2 years ago, we looked long and hard to be sure we found a good vehicle. This one only had 35k miles on it and was well maintained, so it seemed like a no-brainer. She was great… until she wasn’t! But we could have been on a small road on the side of a mountain, which we were the day before she broke down. There are other positives in this story, so despite the stress and money spent, I know there are a few bright sides 🙂
It’s true that others face different heartaches and it’s great you recognize things could be worse but that doesn’t mean you arent feeling stressed and challenged or that you are not entitled to your feelings. It does seem really miraculous in regards to the timing and reimbursements. My favorite saying is ” This too shall pass”. Im glad things have their plus side and I love your name
Thank you, Heatherhoney! I tell my husband and others that they can have their feelings but sometimes forget that the same is true for me. Your favorite saying reminds me that my mantra of the year truly works. I have been telling myself all year that “everything is always working out for me,” and I cannot deny the results!
I love your name, too 🙂
I am day 7 into my skin treatment with fluorouracil ointment. 14 days to go. The discomfort level has not been horrible. The greatest challenge is to keep my self out of the sun. During this time period of the long shadows and cold I usually go outside to do chores when the sun is up and warming a bit. I now need to do them earlier and later in the day when there is shade. Somewhat counter intuitive for this time of year. Life will always present challenges and complications. Gratefulness helps the navigation of those rough seas. Peace and Love.
I was wondering how you were faring,
dear Joseph,
with your skin treatment . . .
it has caused you a certain amount of inconvenience,
but it sounds as if the side effects
are not as bad as you had thought they might be.
Just think–
you are a third of the way through.
Only two more weeks to go. ♥
Sometimes, I struggle with the thought that I’m not being loved by the people around me. The feeling of loneliness may fool me into forgetting the truth that I love my people and am also loved by them. In those moments, being grateful for just the small acts they’ve offered me helps me overcome such an unhealthy thought. May everyone stay warm. 🌨
My Ngoc, fortunately, my issue has never been the whether they love me or not. Mine lies more in the how. Both are different but relatable, because they come from the misunderstanding root. Combining my response to you and my answer, it’s a good reminder for me to not use curruptive string pulling methods to satisfy my basic desires for autonomy.
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We are all constantly challenged in a number of ways. I have committed myself to seeing the world around me, as well as the challenges which confront me, Through the Lens of Gratitude (the title of my most recent book). Looking at life through the lens of gratitude enables me to ask the most important question I can address: Where is God in this? (If mention of God turns someone off, I recommend simply asking Where is the good in this?) This is both an invitation and a challenge to see the opportunity being presented to us in any given situation.
An invitation and a challenge… I like that. Thank you 🙂
I mainly try to focus on being Hopeful and trying to have a positive outlook during challenging times.
I’m grateful that I have this meditation method to be able to let go of my false negative minds – thoughts 24/7! What would I do without this meditation method? Not to mention all the people around me and the world who are doing this together! I was looking for a supportive environment or a support group and it has been in font of my face this whole time ! I can create the support group within our center or community! I’m so grateful and amazed! I’m facing challenges just like all of us are !
I can be the change I want to see by starting another session to offer all of us ! Put it out there on zoom for all of the people in our community- or maybe the higher levels who have been more adapt at letting go and would benefit from going even deeper !
Thank you so much ☺️! I love universe and I’m grateful for these challenges because I can help others too!
I have a habit of seeing the negative things first before the positive. I didn’t do X or I failed at doing Y. I can accept these statements as they are but also remind myself I still learned something from it. Acknowledgment is the first step. And for that, I am grateful 🙏🏽🧡
This makes me think of someone’s advice to ask yourself not “Why is this happening to me?” and instead ask “Why is this happening for me?” to find the lesson or nugget you want to keep.
I was told by a professional once that it is in everyone’s natural tendency to see the negative first. It was our ancestors’ self preservation to scan for potential dangers and it’s in our “brain DNA”. We are not responsible for our first negative thought only for our second thought. Just our recognition of tendency towards the negative is a powerful tool.
Jennifer, it’s human nature. I do it too out of protection. It ultimately comes down to can we look beyond that and shift our focus to the positives or not.
Gratefulness may help me to find the right words and images and also possibly deep moments of stillness in order to soon interact with a group of kindred people and to stay open to their needs and challenges in order to support them to letting go or to hopefully help them transforming possible hindering inner positions and perspectives while apporaching the new year.
A grateful perspective could keep me present and prevent me from jumping into eventualities, worries, and doom loops.
” . . . . doom loops.” Another way for me to conceptualize catastrophizing, or future tripping, Drea. Thanks for that pairing of words.
Thanks Joseph. It’s also kind of a funny phrase that lends separation from the repetitive act.
It really does work
if we work it,
dear Drea . . .
I know though,
that some days can be a challenge. ♥
It does work! There is patience required, some days more than others.
i agree, dear sparrow, it really does work to face the challange, going through instead of going around. Then a grateful perspective helps to find the strength to go through and to follow the light.
Stress can make old behavior rear its head. I’ve been experiencing that in recent weeks and find myself wanting to fight, flee or freeze. A grateful perspective keeps me owning my feelings instead of them owning me. Coming to this site each day, sharing with each other, helps me remember that Life is trustworthy and will always show me a way if I let it.
In her epic SAND talk, rapper and inter-spiritual theologian Mona Haydar teaches that in Arabic the word human—insan—comes from the verb nasayan—to forget. Part of our design, it appears, is that as humans we forget our original nature. This is why we must become beauty-makers, she says. Through beauty “everything we do becomes worship.” We only need to remember to “be our most beautiful and primal self.” All our spiritual paths are journeys of remembering. It might as well be our motto: Remembering together.
(scienceandnonduality.com)
Gratefulness helps me pick myself up and put my whole self in the journey!
”Coming to this site each day, sharing with each other, helps me remember that Life is trustworthy and will always show me a way if I let it.”
It does the same for me as well,
dear Carol Ann. ♥
Just this morning I was reading another selection. The scripture was “take my yoke upon you….and you will find rest ” The author was commenting that there is a conflict there. As I read further he was saying a yoke is a tool to lighten the load, to make it lighter. This tool balances the weight distribution. This was helpful. So gratitude is actually a yoke. A different perspective.
Ah, yes… how can we find balance in the midst of a challenge? That is super helpful! Thank you, YRAM 🙏🏼
I have heard that passage before but have never pondered it. What you write makes a lot of sense.
I never really understood this,
dear Yram . . .
now I do.
I too,
had thought of a yoke as a negative thing.
Thank you for this flash of insight. ♥
Thank you for your explanation. The text is so well known, expressed in one of the most beautiful peaces of music by G.F. Haendel, “The Messiah”. But as far as i remember, it is “take His yoke upon you… so let´s go, friends! and find rest. One of the most beautiful presentations I found here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1goECeM4gn4&list=PLBrs-r77FPJKwj71KvnuwTiewVetpckME&index=18, if you love Classical Music
YRAM, I think we are saying the same thing. I love the image of the yoke you paint!
I try to apply a grateful perspective to all situations.
Luckily, I don’t currently have too many challenges and in my life. Just the day to day challenges of existence.
I have multiple ongoing challenges concerning loved ones. 2 of these challenges have been great burdens on my heart for the last 10 and 23 years . So I cannot apply my saying “this too shall pass”. But I can apply “It could be worse ” and when I choose to view my situation through the lens of gratefulness, my stress lifts and grief lessens as my faith increases . When I can be grateful even “for” my challenges, instead of in spite of them, my joy peeks through the dark cloud of dispair. When I look also for the lessons and gifts bestowed onto me because of these challenges < authentic friendships, love, becoming a healthier and better human, a strong relationship with myself and my God; I begin to feel blessed . For me gratefulness turns burdens into blessings.
Thank you for your reply, dear Heatherhoney.
We don’t always see the blessings within the challenge
until later,
but can trust that they are there.
Thank you for this,
dear Heather. ♥
Heather, Such a powerful and helpful response. Thank you.
I tend to have “white coat” syndrome when it comes to seeing my doctors. And I have good doctors who are smart, have my best interests at heart and work with me as partners. And yet…
So as of late, I am switching my thinking from fear to seeing my health care team truly as my partners who want the best for me. And in that, grateful for the access I have, for the space to communicate honestly, and that I have had the freedom to choose these individuals to support me. I still can get a little wiggy, and it is getting less so. ❤️❄️❤️
I look forward to reading others answers today – we need to suggest/submit some new and different questions
https://grateful.org/what-is-your-question/
Yes, we need new questions. I feel like I/We just had this question. Time to put on our thinking caps!
YES.
Did we just get asked this recently? Perhaps the universe wants me to look at my challenges differently than I have been.
I mentioned my work challenge before, so I’ll mention my car challenge today.
It’s been in the shop for over a week, having to have it towed to the dealer from my local shop due to a seized engine (we thought it was the alternator). I’m in a rental that USAA won’t pay for since I wasn’t in an accident, and the past week has been super stressful waiting to hear from the dealer since they have to climb the corporate ladder with these things. I did, however, get news yesterday afternoon that they are replacing my engine for free, which is amazing. They did say they don’t replace belts & hoses and of course are recommending that I replace them. We’ll get their quote and share it with the local shop to see what they would charge and go from there. And they also let me know that they’ll put me in a loaner and Hyundai will reimburse me for my rental, which is also a relief. A grateful perspective in all of this could help remind me that I am lucky to have a car at all. I am lucky to have jobs that I need to drive to. And I am really lucky that this debacle happened now because my extended engine warranty expires at the end of this year!
I am also reminded that this issue is nothing compared with what others are dealing with. Car problems are nothing compared to losing loved ones, major illnesses, and so many other things. I feel guilty complaining about my car stress when I think about what others are going through.
Sunnypatti, we did not too long ago. Even for those who have the same updates, it either helps us maintain stability or see how much we’ve improved within the handling of our situations.
Having driven clunkers my whole life,
dear SunnyPatti,
I can truly sympathize with your car troubles . . .
they can be absolutely devastating,
to both morale and pocket book.
I am grateful though,
that you have a silver lining
in that your warranty is still good,
and that Hyundai will reimburse you for the rental . . .
that’s a pretty good bright side. ♥
Even though this SUV is 10 years old, I wouldn’t consider it a clunker. After my last car was totaled 2 1/2 years ago, we looked long and hard to be sure we found a good vehicle. This one only had 35k miles on it and was well maintained, so it seemed like a no-brainer. She was great… until she wasn’t! But we could have been on a small road on the side of a mountain, which we were the day before she broke down. There are other positives in this story, so despite the stress and money spent, I know there are a few bright sides 🙂
It’s true that others face different heartaches and it’s great you recognize things could be worse but that doesn’t mean you arent feeling stressed and challenged or that you are not entitled to your feelings. It does seem really miraculous in regards to the timing and reimbursements. My favorite saying is ” This too shall pass”. Im glad things have their plus side and I love your name
Thank you, Heatherhoney! I tell my husband and others that they can have their feelings but sometimes forget that the same is true for me. Your favorite saying reminds me that my mantra of the year truly works. I have been telling myself all year that “everything is always working out for me,” and I cannot deny the results!
I love your name, too 🙂
I am day 7 into my skin treatment with fluorouracil ointment. 14 days to go. The discomfort level has not been horrible. The greatest challenge is to keep my self out of the sun. During this time period of the long shadows and cold I usually go outside to do chores when the sun is up and warming a bit. I now need to do them earlier and later in the day when there is shade. Somewhat counter intuitive for this time of year. Life will always present challenges and complications. Gratefulness helps the navigation of those rough seas. Peace and Love.
Hang in there! Doesn’t sound easy at all.
1/3 done, 2/3 to go. Glad it’s not horrible.
Joseph, sending loving energy your way.
I was wondering how you were faring,
dear Joseph,
with your skin treatment . . .
it has caused you a certain amount of inconvenience,
but it sounds as if the side effects
are not as bad as you had thought they might be.
Just think–
you are a third of the way through.
Only two more weeks to go. ♥
I’m glad the treatment is not horrible, even if it is altering your routine for a little while. One more week will go quickly.
Should have said two more weeks – whoops!
Sometimes, I struggle with the thought that I’m not being loved by the people around me. The feeling of loneliness may fool me into forgetting the truth that I love my people and am also loved by them. In those moments, being grateful for just the small acts they’ve offered me helps me overcome such an unhealthy thought. May everyone stay warm. 🌨
Im sad with you when you fall prey to that false loneliness. I can travel there myself. I’m grateful for knowing I have your company
My Ngoc, fortunately, my issue has never been the whether they love me or not. Mine lies more in the how. Both are different but relatable, because they come from the misunderstanding root. Combining my response to you and my answer, it’s a good reminder for me to not use curruptive string pulling methods to satisfy my basic desires for autonomy.