“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.” –Melodie Beattie
Have you made your gratitude list today? Maybe that's a little too much to ask. Granted, we have a lot going on, schedules to keep, kids to take care of, jobs to do. There's barely enough time in the day to get to places on time, take the dog for a walk, sort our mail let alone pay all those bills. Gratitude uses up time and time is scarce the way it is.
Maybe a gratitude list could be a once a month thing. Is that realistic? Put it on your Google calander. Once a month I will make a top 10 list of what I am thankful for. If nothing else it sounds good. In the last week, I have had two friends and a sister tell me they are making November resolution lists. They aren't waiting for the new year. It's a compliment to copy, right? My gratitude list is my resolution.
I can find ten things a day to stress about. It only seems right to find ten things a month to be grateful for. Maybe gratitude will cancel out some stress. I'm drained by my kid's constant energy. I'm thankful for the liveliness they add to my days. It's so far to drive to visit my siblings. I'm thankful for my truck with heated seats and fun music to entertain my drive. My desk is messy, my bedroom is messy, my laundry room is a mess magnet, when will I ever catch up? I'm thankful for two hands to work, two feet to move and a heart to love. I am thankful to fill this day the best I can.
Have you made your gratitude list today? Maybe that's not too much to ask.
“Do your little bit of good where you are; its those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.” -Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Nobel Peace Prize Winner
