LEARNING TO BE GRATEFUL FOR THE SIMPLE THINGS: When I think about the time in my life I learned my most precious lessons about gratitude I go back to a holiday season many years ago.
For many people the holidays are a time of great joy and gratitude for the big things in life. The car manufacturers are running ads encouraging us to buy luxury vehicles for our spouse. The jewelers are encouraging us to buy expensive baubles for our beloved. The toy manufacturers are letting the kids know exactly what toys they REALLY, REALLY WANT!!! For a lot of folks their expensive holiday wish lists will come true… and for that they are usually grateful.
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On the other hand, for many people the holidays are a time of sorrow or stress. Perhaps they are alone in life and the holidays just deepen that loneliness. Maybe they are not technically alone, but have lost a particular loved one, so they feel very alone and lost without that person. It could be that they don’t have the money to buy fancy presents. Or possibly they don’t have the money to buy presents at all. From the perspective of many of these people they don’t feel like they have much to be grateful for.
I personally have been in both of these situations. There were Christmases where my husband and I bought so many presents for our kids you could barely see the floor in our living room! There were also Christmases when there was little to no money and we had to address most of the few gifts we did have from Santa and explain that mom and dad just didn’t have the money for a lot of gifts that year.
And there was one Christmas when we were separated and heading for a divorce (we worked things out eventually, for which I am grateful) where I was on my own with the kids. The house was heading for foreclosure and my family was refusing to take us in if we did end up losing the house – all I could think about was that we might end-up homeless on Christmas. One night I found myself at the gas station, after my hour-plus commute from my part-time teaching job, with barely any gas. And then, to my horror, none of my cards would work to pay for the gas. I had to borrow money from my children’s babysitter to put gas in my car. I felt so ashamed, frustrated and defeated.
It might seem on first glance that the most significant lessons I learned about gratitude during those early years of parenting came from the good times, not from the struggles. But, that’s not the case. My most important lessons in life have come from learning to be grateful for the simple things. And truly, learning to appreciate those simple things during the hard times has been one of the biggest blessings in my life.
Here’s my challenge to you! Whether you are in a place of abundance or in a place of struggling, find the joy in feeling gratitude for the simple things.
FIND SIMPLE GRATITUDE FROM A PLACE OF ABUNDANCE
You may be asking, “if I’m in a place of abundance, why wouldn’t I just be grateful for all of the wonderful things I have?” My answer, simply put, is to say, “of course you should be grateful for those things!” But, those are just things. They can come and they can go. In my experience true abundance & peace-of-mind come from finding joy and gratitude for the non-material things in life: A sunset, a beautiful flower, a child’s sweet laughter…
Perhaps you may even want to try to live in a place of non-material abundance during the holiday season. Instead of giving lots of gifts, or expensive gifts, try giving the gift of time. Spend time having fun with your family. Go to your local Senior Center, Foster Care Organization, or place of worship and find out how to spend time with people who are all alone this holiday season. Take a walk through your neighborhood or a local park and notice the beauty of nature. In these simple acts, find simple gratitude and the joy that follows.
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FINDING GRATITUDE FROM A PLACE OF STRUGGLE
It may seem much harder to find gratitude when you are struggling in life during the holidays. Whether you are grieving the loss of a loved one, struggling financially, or are feeling very alone, gratitude can seem hard to access. During another time of great sorrow in my life I was lucky to have a friend and mentor who started me thinking along the path of simple gratitude – thank you Kim! She said to me, “sometimes you need to look down, see that you have two feet to place on the ground and start there with your gratitude.” This type of simple gratitude for a simple act is where finding true inner peace begins.
Find gratitude in your heart for the beauty of a crystalline icicle, or an autumn leaf as you walk or drive or ride the bus through your neighborhood. Look into the faces of your children while they sleep and find peace in their sweetness. Find joyful, uplifting words through reading or listening to inspirational people. You too can find gratitude in spending time instead of money. You may work many hours to make ends meet, but if you spend just a little quiet time either alone or with your kiddos (if you have them) you will find that the time is more important than a thing that you might possess.
NOW BACK TO THE CHALLENGE!
Make a list of the simple things for which you are grateful. AND… SHARE IT! Both conventional wisdom and now science tell us that sharing our insights, sharing our positivity and sharing our gratitude not only lifts us up, but also positively impacts others.
JEN ROBINSON
Jen Robinson is the creative force behind the wellness brand Peaceful Living Wellness which is dedicated to providing a wide-variety of high-quality wellness information. Jen is also the creator of the Peaceful Living Wellness life coaching division, and offers workshops, individual and group coaching as well as retreats where she guides women in using Mindfulness and Mindset to build their inner strength on a foundation of inner peace. Jen also is the co-creator of the business coaching brand CEO Mindset that guides entrepreneurs in building their businesses without burning out.
The latest addition to her repertoire is that she recently signed-on as the Wellness Director for the business development company Wealthy Women Entrepreneurs . She is very excited to be leading this group of dynamic women entrepreneurs into success in their businesses and lives!
The most important part of Jen’s life are her two very active teenagers, AJ & Layna!
Jen’s Mindfulness and Mindset techniques inform her business, her parenting and her life!
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