Gratitude

This is Thanksgiving weekend in Canada and I think its pretty obvious what today's post should be about.  I could easily write 10 posts on the importance expressing gratitude has has had on my life.  I try to wake up each morning and say thank you for all of the possibilities I have before me.  I also try to end my day the same way, being grateful for all of the things in my life that I love.  

Expressing gratitude at the end of the day also reminds me on tough days when things may not have gone perfectly, there are still parts of the day and people in my life that I am thankful for. Even when I have had times where it feels as though I am up against the entire world and I am about to lose, the expression of thanks for my children, my husband, a perfect sunset or time to sit and drink a coffee reminds me that there is more to my life and more to me than the challenges I am facing.

This is my favourite quote by Melody Beatty about Gratitude

I feel her words sum up so eloquently what I am trying to express.  Through the recognition of all of the blessings in our lives we reframe each gift that comes to us as exactly that - a gift.  A stranger holding a door for us, the picture our child draws, the fact that most of us have a warm bed and more than enough to eat are things that others may not experience in a day and yet they have been presented to us.  

By recognizing that we have more than enough in our lives, we free ourselves to give more to others.  We don't feel the need to hoard our time.   When we see how fortunate we are we free up space in our minds and emotionally to find room in ourselves to find that true expression of who we are.  So today and everyday I am grateful for so many things in my life, my family, the beautiful tree whose leaves are changing colours to a brilliant red in my front yard, the opportunity to sit here and write and the limitless possibilities that all of my tomorrows may bring.