Gratefulness is most meaningful when experienced in the context of disappointment. Disappointment is the obstacle that stops; gratefulness is the process of finding traction where we are, allowing us to move forward again – around or over the obstacle. Slightly off topic, but the reflection that comes to mind.
What is a recent experience in which choosing to be grateful shifted my perspective?
I was given the opportunity today,
to make a choice between being grateful . . .
or not.
In my desire for urgency
I could feel frustration getting a foot in the door,
and I could see my husband,
who had stepped in to help me,
becoming exasperated,
which never bodes well,
especially navigating around troublesome web sites,
which is where the trouble started.
And of course
the printer needed to be online
and it wasn’t . . .
I hadn’t used it in months
because I knew it was going to be an ordeal,
sitting in the dark and dust under my table,
pulling out cat toys and an earring they had found and tossed around,
looking for disconnected cables and tangled wires.
Getting the printer part of the problem taken care of
was a big sigh of relief,
but then it was back to the web site.
It was getting late
and I was near-ready to throw up my hands and be done with it all,
which is unusual for me,
as my dear husband pulled himself back from the edge,
and patiently took another look.
Most of the time
I am the one who tempers these potential outbursts,
but miraculously,
he was doing a great job of keeping it together . . .
I briefly wondered if he had taken a pill
(he doesn’t take pills) . . .
either that
or he’s been actively practicing gratitude behind my back.
I had to smile. 🙂
It was then that I made the choice to look at everything differently.
I was so very proud of him for his patient persistence,
and then,
proud of me
for shutting the door on the toes of frustration,
willing to let the urgency go,
and pleased that we were engaging in peaceful resolution
of the issue.
I also was happy to see that in doing what we did,
we got my printer working again,
my missing earring was found,
and a solution was found for the internet situation . . .
That is a very happy blessing to celebrate.
By changing my perspective,
the day has ended well,
and we are laughing
and teasing each other about the process.
It turned out to be a fun afternoon,
and a step up in our patterns of communication,
which is always welcome. ♥.
Wow, Sparrow! When I read, “I could feel frustration getting a foot in the door, and I could see my husband, who had stepped in to help me, becoming exasperated…” I thought to myself – This sounds familiar, and not in a good way.🫤 Maybe your husband is practicing gratitude, behind your back. 😄 Either way, well done!
PS Well written, I enjoyed reading this.
I cannot think of something special, only that chosing gratefulness always shifts perception to the better in the direction of the heart is speaking and shows iü tp clearly to be transformative. My you all wake up to another beautiful day.
My recent health issue (not life threatening) I am hugely grateful for living close to expert medical staff who takes the time to really listen and address any of my concerns.
I already answered, but today something else happened. I’m going out tonight. It’s supposed to snow later tonight which always makes me queasy. I was feeling low, I asked what I can be grateful for. It’s that I even have friends to go out with. Grateful for friends. Changes the energy.
Right now I choose to take the perspective of the Universe mind which is always grateful. It’s easy to get lost in the pictures in my mind which is filled with storylines all of which don’t even exist. So grateful to let them all go ! Happy weekend! 😉
I went back to work Friday, post 3 days off w/flue. I was partially grateful to be up and around and engaging. That disappeared when I found the bldg. space I’m in didn’t have any consistent heat. I found I wasn’t productive and ended up with challenging conversations with one co-worker. By days end I had a flue relapse. Gratitude seaped into my thoughts by the time I got home. Very grateful for housing during artic temps, and ability to call a supervisor this weekend. And to have a voice to say I may need to take laptop home. Years ago, I would have been a victim in the workplace. Warm Weekend Blessings to all ❄️🌞☮️
I ended a relationship with someone awhile back, and felt guilt and shame for hurting their feelings. I find that I tend to blame myself, believing I should have done more to make the relationship work, done more to communicate better, or to have more compassion for the other person. But I realize that I am allowed to hold the other person accountable. I didn’t like the way they were treating me and felt like I was walking on eggshells around them. I don’t have to take all the blame all the time, I am not always just the one at fault. I am grateful to recognizing how I deserve to be treated and walk away from something that could have hurt me more if I had stayed.
The other day I toured a continuous care facility. I felt it was a waste of time because I did not see what I wanted. I exited with a couple. In chit chatting I was introduced to an organization that will accept tools. They will repair them if needed and then give them to whomever needs them. They also pick up. I am working on appreciating each moment.
Like many things, practicing gratitude, is an ongoing and fairly constant thing. Making sure I start my day by including gratitude, helps to shift my perspective in general. And throughout the day there are moments that require me to come back to this again and again. It’s part of trying to be present with what is.
Hello to all and happy Saturday.
I have been away because my husband and I were both hit by Covid. Yikes! This is our second time with Covid, the first time being shortly after getting the first vaccine, and I am grateful that we did get the vaccine before we were hit with it. As he was the first time, my husband was completely miserable, weak and unsteady, feverish, very congested and had a bad headache. We got him on Paxlovid, (the drug for Covid), NyQuil and DayQuil and after a few days he started feeling better. So about three days later, I started getting sick. As with the first time that I had Covid, I had one very miserable afternoon and evening, exhausted, feverish, weak, and congested. Thankfully, after that first day, I mostly slept through the next several days. Now as I write, I am out of bed, sitting in my favorite spot, in the love seat by a large window in my living room, with my cat Calliope. It’s sunny outside and nature looks fresh, healthy and happy. I feel quite a bit better today.
In answer to today’s question, a few days ago, I was feeling poorly and a bit sorry for myself. Then I thought about what a luxury it is to be sick and able to rest as much as I wanted, be in a warm house, in my comfortable bed, have the medication I needed and all I needed to eat and drink. I was and still am on my way to recovery, and continue to have the luxury of getting all the rest I need. My husband’s progress is slower, but it was that way the first time he had it. He just needs a little more time.
Sending love from sunny Florida, as I sit inside, warm and grateful.
Mary, good to hear you are on the mend. I heard from a lady once that before she got sick, she had many problems. After she became sick she only had one problem.
I am happy,
dear Mary,
that you and your husband are both on the mend.
Covid is still nothing to ignore.
Sitting in your chair by the sunny window
sounds as good as medicine.
Be well soon
with love . . . ♥
Mary, my thoughts go out to you two. That sunny spot by a window will help. I’m making my way back from a week w:flue. I know this community holds us in prayer when we can’t be here for whatever reason. ☮️
Glad you’re feeling better. This response exemplifies the question for me– there’s always some way in which things could be worse and we have reason to be grateful.
I was walking the dog yesterday and feeling tired and irritable. We’ve been in a slow-moving, arduous, sad situation for over a month now, and I want to go home. It was hot. I focused on gratefulness and noticed the breeze, the green of the desert. A coyote jogged up the side of a bare hill. I was transported back from my agitation and even forgot about it a minute later.
Speaking of Wiley E.
my son,
who lives in San Mateo,
walks his dog over by an inlet
where lots of people go.
In recent months,
fearless coyotes wander the area,
so he can no longer take his pup off the leash.
These coyotes seem very tame
and very comfortable
walking near other human beings and their pets. ♥
I’m sorry,
dear Drea . . .
I must have missed your situation as well,
but hope that your moment in desert breeze
and sharing Nature with the coyote
has stayed with you.
I will hold you in my heart
with love . . .
Thank you dear Sparrow. I hadn’t brought up the situation in detail. The desert breeze is indeed helping … and the entire beautiful desert. Wishing you a serene Sunday.
Dear Drea, I am so sorry you are dealing with a difficult situation. You have really been through it this year. If you’ve brought this up in this forum, I must have missed it. I will look back, and see if you’ve shared about this before. I am happy to hear that being in nature brought you relief. Sending much love, Mary.
Thank you Mary, you are very kind. I had not brought this particular situation up in the forum because it’s such a long one! I do appreciate you thinking about me. Thank you.
Practically every day something occurs that makes having a grateful perspective a challenge but as Br. David teaches, I stop, look and go gratefully. I think one has to pause because the mind can get on a rant before we know it and we react instead of respond. When we react, we forsake our chance to choose.
Yes, and taming the quick to trigger mind is quite a challenge.
I have to pay attention or it will get way ahead of me.
The daily news is always a trigger for me.
I can only let a little in at a time. And sometimes I can’t let any of it in.
I can’t look at in the evening or it will literally keep me up at night.
Self care first.
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Gratefulness is most meaningful when experienced in the context of disappointment. Disappointment is the obstacle that stops; gratefulness is the process of finding traction where we are, allowing us to move forward again – around or over the obstacle. Slightly off topic, but the reflection that comes to mind.
I like this a lot, Chester. Thanks for providing traction.
What is a recent experience in which choosing to be grateful shifted my perspective?
I was given the opportunity today,
to make a choice between being grateful . . .
or not.
In my desire for urgency
I could feel frustration getting a foot in the door,
and I could see my husband,
who had stepped in to help me,
becoming exasperated,
which never bodes well,
especially navigating around troublesome web sites,
which is where the trouble started.
And of course
the printer needed to be online
and it wasn’t . . .
I hadn’t used it in months
because I knew it was going to be an ordeal,
sitting in the dark and dust under my table,
pulling out cat toys and an earring they had found and tossed around,
looking for disconnected cables and tangled wires.
Getting the printer part of the problem taken care of
was a big sigh of relief,
but then it was back to the web site.
It was getting late
and I was near-ready to throw up my hands and be done with it all,
which is unusual for me,
as my dear husband pulled himself back from the edge,
and patiently took another look.
Most of the time
I am the one who tempers these potential outbursts,
but miraculously,
he was doing a great job of keeping it together . . .
I briefly wondered if he had taken a pill
(he doesn’t take pills) . . .
either that
or he’s been actively practicing gratitude behind my back.
I had to smile. 🙂
It was then that I made the choice to look at everything differently.
I was so very proud of him for his patient persistence,
and then,
proud of me
for shutting the door on the toes of frustration,
willing to let the urgency go,
and pleased that we were engaging in peaceful resolution
of the issue.
I also was happy to see that in doing what we did,
we got my printer working again,
my missing earring was found,
and a solution was found for the internet situation . . .
That is a very happy blessing to celebrate.
By changing my perspective,
the day has ended well,
and we are laughing
and teasing each other about the process.
It turned out to be a fun afternoon,
and a step up in our patterns of communication,
which is always welcome. ♥.
Printers have special powers to inspire rage. Glad everything ended in laughter.
🤣🤣🤣
They certainly do! 🤯
🙂
Indeed they do,
dear Drea . . . 🙂
Wow, Sparrow! When I read, “I could feel frustration getting a foot in the door, and I could see my husband, who had stepped in to help me, becoming exasperated…” I thought to myself – This sounds familiar, and not in a good way.🫤 Maybe your husband is practicing gratitude, behind your back. 😄 Either way, well done!
PS Well written, I enjoyed reading this.
I’m glad,
dear Mary,
that you enjoyed this little piece of my journey . . . 🙂
A good day you and your husband had with the full spectrum of emotions. Not an experience that all have met.
You’re so right,
dear Joseph . . .
we don’t always have days
of full laughter. ♥
I cannot think of something special, only that chosing gratefulness always shifts perception to the better in the direction of the heart is speaking and shows iü tp clearly to be transformative. My you all wake up to another beautiful day.
And a beautiful day to you, dear Ose. 🌷
My recent health issue (not life threatening) I am hugely grateful for living close to expert medical staff who takes the time to really listen and address any of my concerns.
Robin Ann,
Well wishes to you and I hope you feel better soon . Take care .
I already answered, but today something else happened. I’m going out tonight. It’s supposed to snow later tonight which always makes me queasy. I was feeling low, I asked what I can be grateful for. It’s that I even have friends to go out with. Grateful for friends. Changes the energy.
Right now I choose to take the perspective of the Universe mind which is always grateful. It’s easy to get lost in the pictures in my mind which is filled with storylines all of which don’t even exist. So grateful to let them all go ! Happy weekend! 😉
And a Happy weekend to you Antoinette.
I went back to work Friday, post 3 days off w/flue. I was partially grateful to be up and around and engaging. That disappeared when I found the bldg. space I’m in didn’t have any consistent heat. I found I wasn’t productive and ended up with challenging conversations with one co-worker. By days end I had a flue relapse. Gratitude seaped into my thoughts by the time I got home. Very grateful for housing during artic temps, and ability to call a supervisor this weekend. And to have a voice to say I may need to take laptop home. Years ago, I would have been a victim in the workplace. Warm Weekend Blessings to all ❄️🌞☮️
I ended a relationship with someone awhile back, and felt guilt and shame for hurting their feelings. I find that I tend to blame myself, believing I should have done more to make the relationship work, done more to communicate better, or to have more compassion for the other person. But I realize that I am allowed to hold the other person accountable. I didn’t like the way they were treating me and felt like I was walking on eggshells around them. I don’t have to take all the blame all the time, I am not always just the one at fault. I am grateful to recognizing how I deserve to be treated and walk away from something that could have hurt me more if I had stayed.
I know from my own experience it’s hard not to take on “all that stuff.” May you continue to heal. You’ve done the right thing! Peace to you.
The other day I toured a continuous care facility. I felt it was a waste of time because I did not see what I wanted. I exited with a couple. In chit chatting I was introduced to an organization that will accept tools. They will repair them if needed and then give them to whomever needs them. They also pick up. I am working on appreciating each moment.
That’s wonderful,
dear Yram . . .
you had a unexpected and good outcome
after an unsatisfying experience. ♥
Like many things, practicing gratitude, is an ongoing and fairly constant thing. Making sure I start my day by including gratitude, helps to shift my perspective in general. And throughout the day there are moments that require me to come back to this again and again. It’s part of trying to be present with what is.
When my mind begins to wander, bring it back to the breath. Always the breath.
Yes indeed we need to Kepp coming back and letting go of. Greatness comes each moment I let go . Thank you . ☺️
I think that’s what we all do,
dear Charlie. ♥
Gratitude keeps me grounded and connected to what really matters.
So true, Sarah.
Hello to all and happy Saturday.
I have been away because my husband and I were both hit by Covid. Yikes! This is our second time with Covid, the first time being shortly after getting the first vaccine, and I am grateful that we did get the vaccine before we were hit with it. As he was the first time, my husband was completely miserable, weak and unsteady, feverish, very congested and had a bad headache. We got him on Paxlovid, (the drug for Covid), NyQuil and DayQuil and after a few days he started feeling better. So about three days later, I started getting sick. As with the first time that I had Covid, I had one very miserable afternoon and evening, exhausted, feverish, weak, and congested. Thankfully, after that first day, I mostly slept through the next several days. Now as I write, I am out of bed, sitting in my favorite spot, in the love seat by a large window in my living room, with my cat Calliope. It’s sunny outside and nature looks fresh, healthy and happy. I feel quite a bit better today.
In answer to today’s question, a few days ago, I was feeling poorly and a bit sorry for myself. Then I thought about what a luxury it is to be sick and able to rest as much as I wanted, be in a warm house, in my comfortable bed, have the medication I needed and all I needed to eat and drink. I was and still am on my way to recovery, and continue to have the luxury of getting all the rest I need. My husband’s progress is slower, but it was that way the first time he had it. He just needs a little more time.
Sending love from sunny Florida, as I sit inside, warm and grateful.
Glad you and your husband are on the mend, Mary. Heal well.
Thank you, Drea.
Wishing you and your husband a speedy recovery.
Thank you, Michele.
Mary, good to hear you are on the mend. I heard from a lady once that before she got sick, she had many problems. After she became sick she only had one problem.
Getting sick does focus the mind in that way. 😊
Glad to hear you are both feeling better!
I am happy,
dear Mary,
that you and your husband are both on the mend.
Covid is still nothing to ignore.
Sitting in your chair by the sunny window
sounds as good as medicine.
Be well soon
with love . . . ♥
Thank you, Sparrow.
Mary, my thoughts go out to you two. That sunny spot by a window will help. I’m making my way back from a week w:flue. I know this community holds us in prayer when we can’t be here for whatever reason. ☮️
I hope and trust that you are taking very good care of yourself, Carla. ♥️☮️
Glad you’re feeling better. This response exemplifies the question for me– there’s always some way in which things could be worse and we have reason to be grateful.
So true, Barb! 🌷
A wonderful reflection. It sounds like you are gifting yourself with good self care.
Yes, Yram. That is indeed a wonderful gift.
I was walking the dog yesterday and feeling tired and irritable. We’ve been in a slow-moving, arduous, sad situation for over a month now, and I want to go home. It was hot. I focused on gratefulness and noticed the breeze, the green of the desert. A coyote jogged up the side of a bare hill. I was transported back from my agitation and even forgot about it a minute later.
Speaking of Wiley E.
my son,
who lives in San Mateo,
walks his dog over by an inlet
where lots of people go.
In recent months,
fearless coyotes wander the area,
so he can no longer take his pup off the leash.
These coyotes seem very tame
and very comfortable
walking near other human beings and their pets. ♥
Nothing like Wiley E. gracing my vision too. Always lifts my spirit.
They are clever and complex animals. I love the resilience and smarts of the desert dwellers.
I’m sorry,
dear Drea . . .
I must have missed your situation as well,
but hope that your moment in desert breeze
and sharing Nature with the coyote
has stayed with you.
I will hold you in my heart
with love . . .
Thank you dear Sparrow. I hadn’t brought up the situation in detail. The desert breeze is indeed helping … and the entire beautiful desert. Wishing you a serene Sunday.
Dear Drea, I am so sorry you are dealing with a difficult situation. You have really been through it this year. If you’ve brought this up in this forum, I must have missed it. I will look back, and see if you’ve shared about this before. I am happy to hear that being in nature brought you relief. Sending much love, Mary.
Thank you Mary, you are very kind. I had not brought this particular situation up in the forum because it’s such a long one! I do appreciate you thinking about me. Thank you.
Wishing all good things for you, dear Drea. ♥️
I find that when choosing to be grateful it always shifts my perspective to being thankful and sets a nice positive mind set.
lots of yummy Nat’l Days today – https://nationaltoday.com/today/
Enjoy the weekend everyone 🙂
Same with me, Michele. I’m purer and less likely to pull strings to meet my desires.
Practically every day something occurs that makes having a grateful perspective a challenge but as Br. David teaches, I stop, look and go gratefully. I think one has to pause because the mind can get on a rant before we know it and we react instead of respond. When we react, we forsake our chance to choose.
Yes, and taming the quick to trigger mind is quite a challenge.
I have to pay attention or it will get way ahead of me.
The daily news is always a trigger for me.
I can only let a little in at a time. And sometimes I can’t let any of it in.
I can’t look at in the evening or it will literally keep me up at night.
Self care first.
Mary, I totally relate. I have cut my news consumption considerably.
Unfortunately for my mental health,
I have not . . .
I am concerned that he is going to start a war
and I’ll find out too late. 🙁
So have I.
Carol, for me, when I react, I use charm and pull strings. When I respond, I’m purer.
LOC, I’m chuckling…when I react, there is no charm involved!
Great sense of humor, Carol. I’m so calm that others around me can’t notice to use my reactions against me.
🙂