“I love how you live your life with a heart full of gratitude”, my husband said. “But honestly, the idea of practicing gratitude has really never resonated with me. The whole gratitude thing doesn’t come naturally for me. It’s just more words and something to add to my ‘to do’ list”, he confided.
“Until . . . this morning” he said in his most honest, vulnerable voice.
Then he opened his heart and shared this amazing observation with me.
“I have to admit, I’ve been a little down lately – probably because of all the challenges and uncertainty that come with moving to a new city. Today, I realized I was focusing on all the things I DON’T have. I just decided to explore, ‘what if I focus on the things I DO have’. Right now, I have a warm shower, clothes to wear, a toothbrush and toothpaste, and so many little things that make me feel comfortable to start the day”.
“I have a good, safe car that takes me wherever I want to go – to some it would be unacceptable but to others it would be a dream come true. Today, right now, I have enough money to enjoy a nice lunch at a decent restaurant. More importantly, I have a relatively healthy body with two strong legs that I can use to walk anywhere. My eyes work so I can see the world around me, with all the infinite colors. I can hear, I can think, I can decide, I can . . . do anything.”
“Wow! This seemed like a cause for celebration. What a fortunate person in so many, untold small ways . . . IF I focus on what I DO have. Without any effort or strain, the emotions that can take me hostage, the fear and doubt, the depressive thoughts about what I don’t have or what I want, all those dark clouds faded away. They just didn’t seem relevant any more after this simple change of perspective. I DO have a lot – really, everything I need.”
As I thanked him for sharing his wonderful observation with me I realized once again how important it is that we never stop listening, learning and embracing new ways of thinking about things.
Honestly, because of my natural disposition, I could take my ‘gratitude attitude’ for granted and just believe everyone should view the world in my narrow way. I love and appreciate the fact that my husband found his own path, a more tangible way of expressing gratitude for the small things.
One man’s thankful is another man’s grateful – but whatever word or way we choose to express the feelings in our heart, living our best life always comes down to perspective. And it all starts with being aware, honest and open-minded . . . today.
The Zen Den
Hello and welcome to The Zen Den. My name is Alison and while I am passionate about many things, my most inspiring driving force is human connection. Blogger, content writer, orthopedic exercise specialist, motivational speaker, international yoga pro, published songwriter, avid poker player, mom and wife are just a few of my titles. But when I do my job at NASA, I am known simply as “The Fairy Zenmother” a role I deeply love because people invite me into their space to help them find their center, relax and stretch their muscles and destress their mind. Here in the blogosphere version of The Zen Den, I invite you into my world where I will explore ideas for creating a better tomorrow and a kinder today. And hopefully, with insight, authenticity and humor; my words, observations and experiences will help you feel calm, centered, intellectually challenged and spiritually enlightened. Alternatively, if you have something you would like to see covered in The Zen Den, just let me know. Your feedback is welcome and valuable to the success of this blog. Finally, my heart is filled with gratitude to have this opportunity to share with all of you.
