“Staying positive doesn’t mean you have to be happy all the time. It means that even on hard days you know that there are better ones coming.” – Unknown
It is an uplifting quote – but – just trusting that better days are coming, sometimes, is simply not enough. We are complex creatures, not only driven by faith, but also driven by science. We need tangible evidence – proof of goodness – to help us forward through the strife. Where do we find it? Where does that proof reside?
As mentioned in my previous post, Here’s Hoping for Better Days, this has been a very challenging year. Bad news and/or challenging situations continue to come our way. I feel as though we are in the trenches of war, fending off the onslaught, under-manned, under-armed, and under-prepared. It is exhausting, and I question how much more stress I can actually take on without it affecting both my mental and physical health. Honestly, how can I cope to ensure my own health is not compromised? In desperation to find a way through, I took a moment to pause and reflect. I know I have been at these crossroads before. I know I have choices I can make. And so, I began reading through my previous posts in search of enlightenment – in search of a coping strategy I have used in the past. I landed on my post, A Little List of Gratitude.
In this post, I reflect on how so much in life is beyond our control; all you can control is how you respond to the challenges, the changes, and the losses. It is your emotional response that will inevitably affect your overall outlook. Allowing dark emotions to fester and thrive within does not help you. It hinders you. It is important to acknowledge the feelings you are experiencing at the moment you are experiencing them; however, you must find a way through them so that you do not lose sight of the little blessings that continue to exist.
Life is full of little blessings. We simply overlook them. But these blessings are everywhere – the sun that shines through the rain clouds, a loving embrace, a shared laughter – these are the little things that make the greatest impact. These are the moments that are special; and it’s these moments that we should be living for. In the midst of all the stress, I was forgetting these small blessings. I was forgetting to be thankful for these precious moments, sprinkled throughout my daily life. And so … after reading my post A Little List of Gratitude I took action. After a year-long hiatus, I began a new Gratitude Journal.
My Gratitude Journal, gifted to me on Mother’s Day by my husband and son, has prompted me to pause and reflect on the moments of my day – What I am grateful for, Things that made me feel good about myself, Small victories I had – and, these little journal prompts provide a lasting impact. I am reminded of what I have, especially in these uncertain times. I am reminded of all the good in my life.
For, it is the everyday blessings that will fill your day with joy. It is those precious moments that enrich daily life. Tangible evidence – proof of goodness. Through living life with gratitude, we can be happy. We can believe that better days are to come, because each and every single day is enriched with precious moments. “It is not joy that makes us grateful; it is gratitude that makes us joyful.” – David Steindl-Rast
Gratitude. Published by Crystal Joy Hall
Featured Image by Amanda J.
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