Gratitude
Please note that this post was actually written on thanksgiving last week, but I forgot to bring my laptop to Iceland... so.. here you go....
Gratitude
Something we are supposed to practice at vey specific moments throughout the year. If we get a gift from someone, if we receive a kind gesture from someone, birthdays, holidays, special occasions, thanksgiving. I will resist the urge to turn this post into a rant about the history of thanksgiving... give it a google search though, in your free time...
ANYWAYS.
It seems as though we practice gratitude sporadically or rather when something out of the ordinary happens. Oddly enough though, these things that perhaps spark feelings of gratitude if they happen less sporadically and more routinely get sucked into what we consider our "daily life". These things we were once grateful for because we maybe didn't expect them or only expect them a few times a year become expectations. Expectations are a dangerous thing.
This happens to all of us, I am guilty of it of course. No one is perfect, and I am not saying you need to sit down and stare in to the eyes of your coffee and give it a heartfelt thank you, but it is just something to think about. (Maybe your coffee could use a thank you every once and a while ;). What I am proposing, is that taking time to shine a light on things that have become routine. If you are having a shitty day, doing this may make you realize just how much goes right on a daily basis, and truly how much more could go wrong. If you find yourself wallowing and feeling terribly sorry for yourself.. perhaps you should run yourself through a check list like this..
1.) Did you wake up this morning? Doesn't even have to be on time.. did you wake up at all??
2.) Do you have a pair of socks? They don't have to match, they just have to go on your feet!
3.) Are you breathing? It doesn't have to be pretty, it is all about function..
I am going to stop there, but how ridiculous are those points? Those are things that are without a doubt part of every day life, part of our routine, and generally things we are not grateful for. Gratitude is good.
BUT
Denial is bad. I think often when people think of "practicing gratitude", they picture some "soul brother" who loves everything and everyone and spends many hours a day thanking every little thing he sees. No. That is not what I am proposing, if you deny reality, that is just as bad, if not worse. Things go wrong, we have shitty days, but learning how to remind ourselves what we are grateful for during those shitty days may just help us to move on from them a little faster.
This morning I am grateful for this cup of coffee, we shared a moment staring into each other's eyes, it was beautiful. I am grateful for the daily love and support I get from friends and family who are back home in Minnesota and Wisconsin. It is wonderful to know that I will be coming home to you all in just a short while. I am grateful that I am sitting and writing this in a house in Iceland with a fireplace and a ton of candles. I am grateful that I was able to see the northern lights, and grateful that I was able to share it with 3 other people.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone.
Peace and Love Turtle Doves.
*Here comes a shameless plug for my instagram account, follow me @shots_and_thoughts_with_aric to see more pictures from all adventures! :) Here is a link to it as well if you can't find me. https://www.instagram.com/shots_and_thoughts_with_aric/
