Hi everyone.
During difficult times,
It is easy to feel like we're all alone,
That nothing is going right,
And that things are hopeless.
While it may be true that many things in our lives have become more difficult,
Or that things are not going according to plan,
Right now,
It's also true that we can be overlooking positive aspects or missing opportunities to grow.
It is often what we focus our attention on that leads to our overall satisfaction or dissatisfaction of life.
I'd like to share a personal story with you now.
Many years ago,
When I was working at a homeless shelter for youth,
I was struggling with my own happiness.
I was going through a divorce,
Culture shock,
And I was grieving my mother's death,
And the only other mother figure in my life was dying from an aggressive brain tumor.
It was one of the most difficult times I've gone through,
And while I could feel it making me more compassionate towards others,
It did feel like it was breaking me at times,
Too.
During this time,
There was a resident at the homeless shelter that taught me a wonderful life lesson.
Every time I saw him,
He was smiling.
It was the kind of smile that split dark skies and lit hearts.
As I got to know him,
I learned that he was a refugee escaping civil war,
And that he was alone here in Canada without family or friends.
A trauma survivor living in a homeless shelter,
It made me curious about him,
How he could be so happy.
One day,
I had the dreaded task of letting him know that his housing plan had fallen through again.
I watched as he walked to my office through the windows.
He was wearing that infectious smile,
And silently,
I wondered if I was going to see it disappear.
His smile faltered slightly when I gave him the bad news,
But then he seemed thoughtful for a moment before his smile returned.
He got up to leave thanking me for letting him know,
And said he would make another appointment to speak to the housing worker.
Quite frankly,
I was shocked.
It wasn't the reaction I would have gotten from another resident,
And it certainly was not the reaction that he would have gotten from me if our roles were reversed.
I wondered just where on earth this guy got his eternal happiness from.
I had to know,
So I called him back in and I asked.
He seemed surprised that I would think that he would feel down when there were so many people trying to help him,
When he was getting wonderful meals,
Advice,
Medical care,
And that he had a warm place to sleep,
And people were trying to help him find a permanent home in a new country that was much safer than the one he had left.
I was thunderstruck.
Gratitude.
Gratitude was what was keeping him afloat.
I actually felt a little embarrassed.
This youth was a refugee here without family or friends,
Facing an uncertain future,
But he was embracing everything good in his life and recognizing it as the gift that it was.
Instead,
I was measuring my life in losses.
No wonder I was miserable.
I was focusing on the mud instead of the lotus flower.
Not only was I missing the gifts I had in my life,
I was living like I was entitled to have a perfect life,
When mine was already blessed in so many ways.
I've since heard Clarissa Pinkula-Estes say,
We can make something of it instead of being a victim of it,
And I think that she's right.
We might not have a choice in what we're dealt,
But we can choose how we're going to see it and whether or not we're going to rise above whatever it is,
Or if we'll let it defeat us.
I'd like to take a moment to cultivate a little gratitude right now.
Just find a comfortable position and begin to notice your breath,
The breath that has been here with you every moment of your life.
Take a moment and thank your breath as you breathe deeply in and out.
Take a moment to thank your breath for always being here and nourishing you.
Now I'd like you to begin to notice your body,
Your body that has cared for you,
Carried you many places,
Shown you the beauty of a sunset,
Shared delicate strains of music with you,
Allowed you to create your own beauty in the world.
Just take a moment to thank your body for all of the wonderful things that it does for you every day.
Thank your body for always being here,
Helping you to care for yourself and others and the world around you.
Now I'd like you to take a moment and take stock of the gifts in your life.
Maybe it's your knowledge,
Wisdom,
Artistic talent,
Youth,
Energy,
Strength,
Money,
Attitude,
Family,
Friends,
Animal companions,
A safe place to live,
Your resourcefulness,
Your empathy,
Or any of the many other things in your life that I would have left out.
We have so many gifts that sometimes we don't even recognize them as gifts.
So just take a moment to thank all the gifts in your life for being there to support and nourish you.
Just say thank you for all the ways that you're gifted and all the amazing abilities that you have been given.
Just breathe a small prayer out to the universe.
May I recognize all that I am,
All that I have,
And all that I have to give.
May I have gratitude for my time on this earth.
May I have gratitude for opportunities to grow in my life.
May I remember all of my dreams and gifts.
May I put them to good use.
May I live with more compassion.
May I see all the ways that I'm supported in life.
May I see all the ways I can share and support others in my world.
We are all supporting each other on our journeys.
We are not alone.
I want you to know that I feel so much gratitude for you.
Because of you,
I know I don't walk alone either.
I'm sending you much love and light.
Namaste.
Namaste.
Namaste.
