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Daily Question, January 7

How do you nurture your practice of gratefulness when life is difficult?

  • Lytra
    There are always a gazzillion things for which to be grateful! I began gratitude journaling over 25 years ago. It has morphed into my Happy, Savoring, Appreciating, Thankful, Joyful, Gratitude Journal. :-) Before I open my eyes, I smile, and give thanks for waking up. Before every meal, I give thanks for the earth, water, air, and every mineral, plant, animal, and person that in any way contributed to supplying food and drink to me. Anyway, I have filled volumes. Difficulties? Li...

    There are always a gazzillion things for which to be grateful!
    I began gratitude journaling over 25 years ago.
    It has morphed into my Happy, Savoring, Appreciating, Thankful, Joyful, Gratitude Journal. 🙂
    Before I open my eyes, I smile, and give thanks for waking up. Before every meal, I give thanks for the earth, water, air, and every mineral, plant, animal, and person that in any way contributed to supplying food and drink to me.
    Anyway, I have filled volumes.
    Difficulties? Like, my husband’s 5 operations in one year, or the debilitating Lyme disease I contracted that turned me from a vibrant woman into a pain-filled invalid? Or like my brother dying. Or, my 24-year old awesome Grandson dying in the fire that took my daughter’s “baby”, her house and everything she owned?
    Sure, difficult things happen in everyone’s life, but guess what?
    They don’t take a thing away from the gazzillion other things for which we have to be grateful.
    Love and hugs

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  • Linda

    Remember that everything passes with time.

  • Malag

    I find this site to be the anchor for me. The rest of the day tends to run away from me.

  • Marose

    Think about 5 good things that you have at that moment. Then count more as you go along.

  • julig

    i breathe deeeeeeeeeep, close my eyes, and still with that 1% of faith i keep believing.

  • leslee

    pray, pray, pray

  • KC

    Go for a walk and connect with nature, the elements, people outside of my own little world. Connect with the people I care about and love. Connect with my inner world. Hold the troublesome stuff in a prayerful place as best I can. Keep returning to the present and keep things simple. Sending prayers for peace to all our dear friends in the US. We are with you, 🙏🏻

  • Don Jones

    Left foot, right foot and practice no matter what.

  • Melissa

    After witnessing what happened at the Capital. All I could do is pray for all and feel grateful that I can at least do that. Safety for all. Grateful more people made it through unharmed than could have happened in the chaos. Deeply sad for those who were harmed.

  • Hot Sauce

    For me, finding the lesson to be learned through hardships helps me to be grateful even in difficult times. I like to think that the hard times are the times when I have the greatest opportunity to grow in wisdom, resilience, and an ability to help others who are struggling.

    • Kathy

      Spoken like a Stoic😎 How do we know what we’re capable of if we’re never tested?

  • Patricia
    Some days, like today, for me, it’s like the the phrase commonly used at the end of many 12-step meetings: “keep coming back”. Even when – especially when – life is difficult, I just keep coming back. Sitting down. Clearing my mind and heart as much as I can in that moment Finding SOMETHING to be grateful for. And, no matter how difficult life is, there’s always something. At times that something seems very small compared to the difficulty of the day, but there IS always something. I...

    Some days, like today, for me, it’s like the the phrase commonly used at the end of many 12-step meetings: “keep coming back”. Even when – especially when – life is difficult, I just keep coming back. Sitting down. Clearing my mind and heart as much as I can in that moment Finding SOMETHING to be grateful for. And, no matter how difficult life is, there’s always something. At times that something seems very small compared to the difficulty of the day, but there IS always something. I savor that thing, and go back to it whenever the day seems too dark.Days like today, I have to keep coming back, and keep finding one thing, and allow that small light to be enough to get me through.

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  • Carol
    I tend to sing. I find myself singing when life is difficult and it always fills my heart with gratefulness for all the years I was given to share this God-given gift with others. I’ve always loved to sing. I don’t sound so great any more and stopped doing solo work several years ago due to age and medical limitations. I found myself walking the floor last night. I'm sure that I'm not the only American who did not sleep well. I tried to pray. I did distant Reiki for my daughter who has COVID...

    I tend to sing. I find myself singing when life is difficult and it always fills my heart with gratefulness for all the years I was given to share this God-given gift with others. I’ve always loved to sing. I don’t sound so great any more and stopped doing solo work several years ago due to age and medical limitations. I found myself walking the floor last night. I’m sure that I’m not the only American who did not sleep well. I tried to pray. I did distant Reiki for my daughter who has COVID and for the electorate of this country. We in the USA are definitely struggling with more than one virus. We have one that attacks the body and another that infects the mind. The thing that finally settled me down and allowed me to rest for a few hours was song. I crawled in my bed and sang hymns like Amazing Grace, Be Not Afraid, On Eagles Wings and Peace is Flowing Like a River. I sang to me through me and it helped.

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  • Lauryn

    Sadly, I don’t and that’s something I need to work on. When I am feeling down, it’s an absolute thing, and it then becomes very difficult for me to see anything else. I always answer the question before reading what others have to say…I’m hoping I’ll find some good insights this morning.

  • TofuLove
    Often I just remind myself of reality, probably the most essential being that I'm extremely, extremely reliant on others ... everyone around me is essential to my survival and helps me in some way or other. A persistent issue for me is always my impatience, I push myself hard and it's natural for me to work long hours towards a goal and take on a lot of responsibilities. It can be hard for me to be patient that others don't have 1) that intensity, are more easygoing and 2) others can find people...

    Often I just remind myself of reality, probably the most essential being that I’m extremely, extremely reliant on others … everyone around me is essential to my survival and helps me in some way or other. A persistent issue for me is always my impatience, I push myself hard and it’s natural for me to work long hours towards a goal and take on a lot of responsibilities. It can be hard for me to be patient that others don’t have 1) that intensity, are more easygoing and 2) others can find people who have a lot of drive and intensity difficult people just in terms of intensity. But I need to be grateful for everything that helps me to have that focus and intensity, that I’m fortunate to be able to apply my intensity and drive to make the world hopefully a better place for everyone … so what helps is that I know how reliant I am on others, totally reliant and that always helps my gratitude which tempers my tendency to be impatient.

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  • Sarah

    I feel like this is an inconsistent practice for me. I am blessed and grateful to be here this morning.
    Today, I begin this day with intentions to breathe, hold love and gratefulness in my heart🦋💙🙏

  • Papilio

    First, I just continue my daily practice with a fervent determination. In addition, I try to figure out the truth by soaking myself in meditation as well as nature rather than reading the information provided by media outlets. If rioters who stormed the Capitol yesterday are human beings, I must have something in common with them genetically even though I’d like to believe that I have nothing in common with them.

    • Carol

      I hear you. Your words are filled with humility and wisdom.

  • Holly in Ohio
    If there is shadow, there is light. The darker the shadow, the brighter the light. I heard someone yesterday describe the events at the capitol as "another Pearl Harbor," and it was indeed a very dark day. But our democratic republic prevailed, and the dawn is bringing reality to some who could not see it before, and is clarifying principles to so many across the country, and more will unfold. I don't believe that gratitude requires denying the existence of dark or covering it with a veil,...

    If there is shadow, there is light. The darker the shadow, the brighter the light.

    I heard someone yesterday describe the events at the capitol as “another Pearl Harbor,” and it was indeed a very dark day. But our democratic republic prevailed, and the dawn is bringing reality to some who could not see it before, and is clarifying principles to so many across the country, and more will unfold.

    I don’t believe that gratitude requires denying the existence of dark or covering it with a veil, whether that darkness is in the world or whether it is inside of us in the form of pain or depression. Instead simply look for the light. It is the light chasing the dark into corners. It’s things like principles, noble acts, bravery, kindness, love, and prevailing.

    Today I am deeply grateful for those who stood up for what is right, and grateful for those who did deep soul searching to find truth.

    Peace, my friends.

    Read More
    • Ed Schulte
      Re: "bringing reality"........yes eventually that will happen....as Joshua Emanuel pointed out.....it just may take longer for some but "gratefully there is no measurement called time in the Kingdoms of the Heavens .. There was a popular song around in the 60'-ies which sang "the cracks are how the light get in". That and many other misconceptions darkened the truth ......the "cracks"are who the light get out . Words do not help unless they are applied ....so I will post a section of a med...

      Re: “bringing reality”……..yes eventually that will happen….as Joshua Emanuel pointed out…..it just may take longer for some but “gratefully there is no measurement called time in the Kingdoms of the Heavens ..

      There was a popular song around in the 60′-ies which sang “the cracks are how the light get in”. That and many other misconceptions darkened the truth ……the “cracks”are who the light get out .

      Words do not help unless they are applied ….so I will post a section of a meditation access “Inner Light” which includes the ways and does yield “inner Light” if applied …

      START:

      “Feel being in your whole body from the head to the toes of your feet.

      ………………. Pause……… [2:20]

      Feel calmness and peace in your body and wish that this feelings will continue……..calmness and peace…………… [3:20]

      You are concentrating on the aesthetic ether, the feeling giving either of your Psychical body now…… the body of your emotions.

      ………………… Long pause…………. [4;00]

      take deep comfortable breaths, free of stress…………..

      Continue your concentration and apply the will to stay concentrated on the esthetic ether of your Psychical body…………..[5;10]

      Now mentally see …..bright white light….. IN YOUR BODY ( not any “outer” source).…….It radiates and extends out of your body.

      It is the work of the imprinting ether. Continue to see mentally the…..bright white light….. …………

      Long pause [6:13]……

      Feel you are dressed in …..bright white light….. brightness from within …continuing to radiate further and further out ….( it may become Rosy red or Pink-ish …..continue to relax and float deeper into your BE-ingness )

      Wish that in this moment, the Holy Spirit who builds your material body through it’s etheric double will also build your Psychical body and your Noetical body without any interferences from your side.

      ………………….… long pause [9:10]

      See your material and Psychical body in perfect health.

      ……………..…… [9:35]

      You are now in the Kingdom of Peace.

      ………………………..… don’t allow anything to disturb you,

      ……………..……… Simply see the body radiating …..bright white light….. from within

      ……. no thought, no desires………

      Be in complete calmness but concentrated on the Aesthetic ether of your Psychical body.

      Now slowly, slowly, …..start to feel your material body and your environment more and more.

      End M53 –T4 [12:40]

      Read More
  • Butterfly

    When things get really difficult I focus on the basics that I have.
    I am safe, I have a roof over my head, safe water, food and people who care about me.

  • Javier Visionquest

    Focus on the long view and keep busy! Not all defeats, not all celebrations are even our business, directly. For that much of life that we cannot ever hope to control, I believe it is enough that we are here to simply bear witness.

  • DeVonna

    With intention. I choose to be grateful.

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