BLESSINGS: I woke up this morning feeling so much appreciation for my life and all of the blessings it contains. Often, I get caught up in thoughts about what I am lacking in my life, all that I don’t have. When I am under the power of these thoughts, I am blind to all that I do have. I focus on one or two things that I wish I had and can scarcely even find anything to feel good about. Thankfully, these moments don’t last too long. I know that the more I focus on what I don’t have, there is no space for what I do want.
I am creating a habit of thinking of all the things that I do have. I’ve heard that it takes about 6 weeks to form a lasting habit. I could be wrong but if I’m right, I’m about halfway in forming this new habit. What I do know is that the more I focus on what I do have, what is right with my life, I discover more and more things that are good, abundant and loving.
Even the things that I still desire show up in ways that I would miss if I only thought about the lack of them. There are times when I don’t feel very loved. But if I slow my mind down, the ways that I am loved show themselves to me very clearly. Often what we think we lack can be brought into being by acting in loving ways to everyone around me. I know that a smile to a stranger is a loving gesture. I know that offering to hold a door open for someone whose arms are filled with packages is a loving gesture. A phone call to a friend who is going through a challenging time is a loving act.
Sometimes, there are things that happen that don’t feel like a blessing at the time. We don’t always understand what happens to us. We can only feel the pain or anger at an occurrence that triggers us. With the passage of time, we look back and realize it was a blessing in disguise. Hindsight can be very clear and cleansing when we recognize the truth in what happened.
Blessings come in many ways. They come when asked for and also show up unbidden. Being able to notice even the smallest of gifts that life brings us shows us that we are growing in appreciation for all things. Appreciation of what we do have, wanted or unwanted, is an act of faith that further good will continue to come to us. It lets our creator know that the bounty we do have is welcome with gratitude for all the abundance in our lives, in all its shapes and forms.
Being aware of what is good in our life helps us to keep going forward each day with hope and trust. Acknowledging that we are blessed and feeling gratitude for everything keeps us open to more and more blessings coming our way. And there is always at least one thing we can count as a blessing. Say ‘thank you’ for whatever it is. Creator likes to feel appreciated.
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