Uncovering Our Deepest Gratitude

 The Ritual For Thanks-Giving

Each year we gear up for our special day of giving thanks. We gather in groups; traveling to share a meal together with family, friends, holiday orphans and any of those less fortunate we can find to invite in to eat with us at our table. It’s a time that marks our gratitude for another bountiful harvest or life well-lived. We have survived and (hopefully), thrived for another year and we want to make sure everyone has a chance to partake in the celebration.

I tried to conceive a Thanksgiving Gratitude post that steered clear of my own stories but nothing feels quite right or true. You see, I’m tired of trying to circumvent what’s really going on. And a post about gratitude just naturally asks to include my reality. [I’ll take this opportunity] How do I talk about my gratitude if it doesn’t encompass the yin and the yang, those polar forces that compliment each other?

Each year, I look back and remember. For the last two, I’ve had to dig a little deeper to find the grace and the gratitude I’m looking for. I’ve had distress filling most of my plate. And still, there is room for more to be grateful for than possibly ever before.

The details aren’t important and there’s no need to get into them. Suffice to say that I’ve been altogether beat-up by my circumstance and forced to live in a way that is not natural- to my personality, my energy, drive or my will and in a way that is missing the precious thing we so often take for granted: our whole body’s wellness. I am in the state of enduring, waiting and flat out pleading for it to be finished, testing the emotional, psychological and physical stamina I have for coping.

I’m getting good grades.

Dickens said it so well:

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us…”

It basically has sucked. But the lessons I’ve been squirrelling away, stockpiling in my storehouse of treasures have been immeasurable. And while times have been tough, they have also been bountiful and fantastic in so many ways.

“The storehouse of treasures opens by itself, you can take them and use them any way you wish.” Dogan – Zen koan

Beautiful Takeaways & Treasures

These are where the heart and soul of my gratitude lies.

I have a profound want to share the good side of things. The rest is a bunch of junk we don’t need to talk much about. But it does set the stage.

My Life On Google Plus: Genuine Bounty I’m Grateful For

At the top of my own personal short list of what I’m grateful for is you. Each of you individually and all of you combined, as a community.

You really have no idea how you’ve concurrently made this into a time of beauty and expansion. Without knowing, you’ve helped me through; you’ve supported and encouraged me, inspired me, caused me to improve and increase my skills, challenged my mind and warmed my heart. You’ve helped me to create a vibrant, completely unfettered place for myself where I can just be. And then, of course, there’s the laughter.

The land of Google Plus is a land unto itself. We have at least a portion of everything we need. And for anyone interested in growth- personal and professional, the chances for that are limitless. This is made more profound due to the fact that we each bring in something unique with us from where we hail so the pool of knowledge and experience is actually a well that has no bottom. Add to that compassion, kindness, generosity and curiosity and the mix is just irresistible. I have benefited. Thank you.

Unexpected Lessons

⌘ The Good With The Bad

☯ The lesson that has at its core, balancing what’s bad with what’s good (and even spectacular) is priceless to me.

For every instance in our lives that we regard as bad, wrong or that we wish weren’t so, there is something good to be found if we turn our gaze elsewhere- if we focus on what else is real for us. Just to the left or to the right there is always another perspective, a startling joy, something different entirely. Good and bad truly do exist simultaneously. When we relieve ourselves of thinking in black and white and make room for the gradient between we can see that there is a balance; more.

⌘ The Good From The Bad

☯ The lessons I’ve encountered that have me finding my inner sources of strength and unstoppable will is also without quantification.

There is usually a bit of gold that can be mined out of hardship.

Compassionate Disclaimer: I do not intend to minimize anyone’s experience. What I am describing may not apply to all situations.

Whenever we can identify the good that comes from the bad, shine a light on that, we’ve advanced a little closer to realizing our potential and going beyond what we’d imagined for ourselves. Whether it be letting go of what isn’t working for us, a newfound skill for tolerance or resilience. Looking for the grace, the gift inside the rubble can open the landscape to hope and optimism. And encourage us to see ourselves differently. And be different if we wish.

⌘ Finding A Source Of Strength

☯ The experiences that show me what I’m made of and what I can and might be capable of in the future are precious and dear.

We tend to rise to the occasion. Just when we think we’ve hit the end of our reserves, somehow, we find a fresh supply. Where does that come from? Perhaps it comes as we walk the Road of Trials of the Hero’s Journey and are guided by unseen forces. Perhaps we simply are made of stronger stuff than we thought. We find we can muster the energy to keep going and even flourish. The mysterious thing that carries us through is a marvel even if we can’t fathom what it is. We are built to survive and thrive.

Work

We are each, in our own way, engaged in the project of work. Whatever we take with us from our personal existence into the mentality of work will affect how we operate and how we succeed or fail. Ups and downs always exist. Challenges and hurdles are the stuff of life. And how we deal with them will affect everything we do. Marrying the best of who we are away from work with the best of who we are in our work can only improve our performance, our situation and our ease as we travel through all the events we encounter. -the happy ones and the not so happy ones. Here we are smack dab back in the face of our need for authenticity. Take it with you where you go. And remember to look for the bounty.

---

SUBSCRIBE & Receive Blog Notifications Of New Posts:

* Don’t miss any of our blog posts! Subscribe at the top right of the page.

Google Plus Post Notifications:

* Would you like to be included in my Google Plus Notification Circle?
If you would, please visit the invitation and let me know in the comments with a +mention of my name. Thanks!

Pre-Remix photo iStock Photo, Remix: Gina Fiedel