Thoughts

Committing Yourself to Gratitude

It’s not always easy to stay in gratitude when you’re going through difficult life events such as a severe illness, the death of a loved one, or a challenging divorce.

When you add the stress of the holidays to the difficulties one experiences during these life-altering situations, it’s understandable that the strain can feel intense. This could make the thought of “committing yourself to gratitude” seem nearly impossible.

I recently listened to a 28-day challenge in the audiobook The Magic by Rhonda Byrne. The magic she is referring to is gratitude. Although I did not take up her daunting 28-day challenge, I must say, her ideas expanded my understanding of gratitude, greatly.

Her words resonated profoundly, because she made it clear that we have all been given numerous gifts that we consistently take for granted every single day. When we start to focus our attention on the good we have already been given that we don’t appreciate, we can reach a new level of awareness and thankfulness. This allows us to shift our thought process from a place of lack, sadness, and hurt, to an understanding that we are already living in abundance. Being mindful and seeing the “magic” and good in every day shifts our view and uplifts our lives.

Rather than concentrating on our problems, focusing on how we’ve been wronged, or betrayed, we can direct our attention to the blessings in every day. This shift allows us to develop gratitude for the joys that our senses bring to our life and how our bodies are equipped with miraculous and amazing self-healing powers. We can be grateful for the strength and adaptability of our minds, as well as the beauty and wonder of the natural world. We can appreciate the joy and richness of our relationships, and appreciate what music and art add to our life experience. We can appreciate that we have at our fingertips, access to more entertainment, information, and knowledge than anyone has ever had in the history of the world. (And I’m just getting started!)

I recognize that being aware of these blessings isn’t enough to take away the sting and challenges that occur during divorce. However, if we intentionally concentrate on the good we’ve been given, acknowledge gifts received, and offer heartfelt thanks, we can break through feelings of lack and sorrow, and begin to live in the abundant world of gratitude.

This is what I hope for you during this holiday season… to recognize and appreciate the gifts you already have… seeing the abundance and good that exist everywhere.

Weekly Dose Divorce Support Group