Opt In

 Experiencing gratitude isn’t necessarily happenstance. Simple gratitude comes many times daily in many forms: that first sip of coffee or tea in the morning, the sweetness of birdsong through an open window, that sigh of relief at the completion of a task. But sometimes, in order to experience the depth of feeling provided by expressing gratitude, I need to excavate it. I have to hold it as it’s own treasure to be found.

I need to opt in to the experience. If I’m open to the lessons in each of life’s experiences, I’ve also opened myself to the blessings found in them. I make that decision daily—or make that my mission.

We all experience events in our lives which are challenging. Life happens, and no one is exempt from those moments, but how we choose to react remains our choice. I find that sometimes I need to refresh or reboot more often than usual. I need to go to my Source and ask for the clarity to see the blessing in the lesson, then I get to choose to relax into knowing that vision will be restored. That’s enough for me to know I can indeed be grateful for this moment.

Today, I am grateful for the beauty of answered prayer, for the fresh breeze through my balcony door, for the promise of this day and the time I will spend with friends. For all which I dare to judge ‘good’ or ‘bad’, for all that can’t be known at this time, and for all that lives in my awareness, my choice is to say “Thank You.”