It's often easier to be grateful for the blessings in our lives,
But it can be much harder to be grateful for the challenges.
Often we just want life to be easy and problem free,
But that's rarely how it goes.
Life,
Whether we like it or not,
Is full of challenges,
Big and small.
There are different kinds of challenges.
Some challenges are fun and exciting,
Like finally landing a new dream job or traveling abroad for the first time.
But sometimes challenges just feel like life is kicking your butt.
Several years ago,
My family lost our house after it was hit by a hurricane.
And this was during the height of COVID,
So things were already rough.
We were grateful to be safe,
But the period of time that followed was one of the most challenging in my life.
Every day just felt like a new and harder hurdle.
So,
What was there to be grateful for?
Well,
I was grateful we were safe,
And I certainly learned a lot from the experience.
I learned humility,
I learned compassion.
It's one thing to hear about people dealing with natural disasters,
And another to be able to deeply relate.
It helped me better understand the ongoing need for disaster preparedness and relief.
I was grateful for the support we received from both family and strangers.
Being grateful and acknowledging the lessons doesn't mean ignoring your feelings or pretending that hardships aren't hard.
It's accepting that challenges are a part of life,
And still choosing to be grateful.
Let's try and apply this to something in your life.
I'll give you a series of questions and give you time to reflect after each one.
Let's start with taking three deep breaths together in and out.
Take a moment and think of a challenge you're going through right now.
It's okay if it's something small.
It's often easier to start with something more mild,
Like a disagreement with a co-worker.
Or it could be something more difficult,
Like illness or loss.
What new understanding has this experience given you?
Who can you more deeply understand now?
How can you take what you've learned and apply that learning to your life?
How can you help make the world a better place?
Good job.
Thank you for taking the time to look at your challenges in a different way.
It's not easy,
But you can be proud of yourself for working to change your perspective.
If it was a struggle to take any lessons from your current challenge,
That's alright too.
Let's take a moment to send love and compassion to yourself,
And to anyone else going through the same difficulty.
We are all in this world together,
Facing life together.
Thank you for joining me today.
Have a beautiful day.
