It’s easy to project happiness into the future: I’ll be happy when_________, Life will be great after_______, When I get__________ I’ll be fulfilled. Is it even possible to find true happiness in THIS MOMENT? Contentment with what IS? Serenity in the midst of messiness?
That’s a hard conundrum. I want peace, and I want it NOW, even as I face harboring resentments, while I have to make a hard decision, or am in the middle of a maelstrom. How on earth do I find a modicum of gratitude when life can be so darn messy?
This is a perfect moment for me to take a deep breath, ground myself, and whisper “Help” to my Higher Power, take a moment of quiet, and listen. I say “Thank You”, and wait for insights. Or, on occasion, I still find my emotions muddled, my ears blocked, and my vision darkened. I get to choose which reaction I’ll attach my attention to. One leads to a serenity which keeps me going, and the other sends me back to bed in avoidance.
As I practice active gratitude, I find that more and more often, I can navigate the storm and emerge stronger. If I allow myself to churn, I become a mess of resentment and self-pity. I don’t want to spend time with that version of myself.
The hard times give me an invitation to look more deeply at my triggers, or ‘character defects’, and do some digging. What do I need to know about myself? What action do I need to take? What, IN THIS MOMENT, can I be grateful for? Find it, identify it, and deeply feel it.
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